משבר האקלים הגלובלי ומדינת ישראל

Four years of facing the strongest forces of Israel's economy and politics; years of persistence and determination, demonstrations, petitions, scientific reports, position papers, and legal action. And our efforts are bearing fruit.

Our achievements have made us one of Israel's leading citizen organizations in the fields of energy, the environment, and public health. Together, we are realizing our vision of reshaping Israel's energy sector to be cleaner, safer, and more equitable.

This is a long-term challenge. But for our sake, our children, and theirs – we will not cease our efforts, which are already changing decades-old policies.

We're moving mountains…

OUR SUCCESSES

Monitoring Pollution

Reducing Emissions

Penalizing Polluters

Greening Finance

Influencing policy

Changing Curricula

Monitoring Pollution

We're launching the first independent pollution monitoring system in Israel's history, targeting pollution hotspots. The system will sample more pollutants, monitor more locations, and provide legally admissible data to penalize polluters.
We launched a pilot program of our monitoring system in Haifa's Bay, implementing a technology developed by America's EPA. Our pilot found carcinogen violations even after the Ministry of Environment had closed several leaking tanks.
Our advocacy efforts forced the Leviathan and Karish-Tanin gas rig operators to install radar systems for detecting and monitoring oil spills. We're working to expand these demands to the Tamar rig.
We created a citizen reporting system of odor and health hazards related to Israel's gas and oil energy sector. (לקשר לטופס)
The Ministry of Environment is expanding its pollution monitoring in Ashdod following our nationwide public activism.
Our efforts pressured the Ministry of Energy to promote academic initiatives to measure Israel's industrial methane emissions.

Reducing Emissions

The Ministry of Environment has finally issued an emissions permit for Israel's (southern) Tamar rig, which operated without a permit for 7.5 years! Tamar was previously Israel's most polluting factory, emitting more carcinogens than all of Israel's factories combined. This development means that pollution enforcement can finally be applied.
Our efforts pressured the Ministry of Energy to appoint an international firm to investigate the Leviathan rig's operations. The report revealed that one of the rig breakdowns could have caused widespread fatalities.
We helped advance and strengthen the oil spill law following years of inaction. Known as The National Contingency Plan for Preparedness and Response to Combating Marine Oil Pollution, the law was first discussed in 1998! Our efforts will help secure budgeting to increase regional and national response spill exercises and fill the dwindling coffers of the Fund for the Prevention of Marine Pollution.

Penalizing Polluters

Chevron-Noble Energy was fined nearly 7 million NIS (in two separate enforcement proceedings) for severe emissions to air and sea.
The Tamar rig operator was forced to implement emission-reduction investments costing $40M, which decreased emissions by 98% from its 2016-2017 levels.

Greening Finance

We established the Fossil Free Israel Forum, which brings together green and other social organizations and experts working to transition Israel to renewable energies.
Working with the Fossil Free Israel Forum, we helped bring about the country's first fossil fuel-free stock index, featuring 112 of the biggest companies across all sectors on the TA-125 Index. The forum's efforts have already diverted millions of dollars to green funds.
Cramim and Ofek investment houses committed to divesting from fossil fuels, thereby earning the green investor's certificate created by the newly established Fossil Free Israel forum. Two other companies (Migdal and Altshular Shaham) pledged to transition gradually.

Influencing policy and public discourse

Our leaders now routinely participate in parliament discussions on energy and the environment.
Our CEO, Yoni Sappir, was asked to join the government committee targeting greenhouse gas reductions.
We're working to strengthen the commitments pledged in Israel's (first) climate law.
Following countless letters and meetings, the Ministry of Health has formulated a principled position on the health impact of energy projects that rejects gas-fired power plants and fracking-based energy initiatives.
We now receive crucial coverage by leading TV, newspapers, and radio channels, including platforms that formerly denied coverage or did so unfavorably.
We limited proposed regulatory changes that would obstruct enforcement against polluting factories. Specifically, the proposed Law of Fundamentals of Regulation threatened to create a 'super-regulator' body endangering the powers of ministries responsible for protecting diverse facets of our lives – from environmental protection to health, homeland security, and more. We were the first to bring this issue to the press and subsequently took part in advocacy efforts by a coalition of organizations to remove key powers proposed for this regulatory body.
We helped restrict the ability of the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company (EAPC) to de facto implement the agreement signed with the United Arab Emirates to pipe oil to Europe through the Eilat Bay and Ashkelon's Mediterranean port.

Changing School Curricula

We helped influence the Ministry of Education to add an obligatory climate change program from kindergarten through high school. The ministry also removed the "Energy Championship" school program influenced by Noble Energy to contain messaging favorable to the fossil fuel industry.

What's next?

Key remaining challenges include:

Raising Israel's 2030 renewable energy targets to at least 50%
Restraining Chevron, which has entered Noble Energy's shoes, both environmentally and financially

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