Photo by Joern Boehme
- From December 7th to 18th, 2009 the much awaited for United Nations Climate Conference (COP 15) is taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Heinrich Boell Foundation in Israel is supporting a delegation of Israeli NGOs from the Sustainability Coalition - working under the auspices of the environmental umbrella organization Life & Environment - to actively advocate for a comprehensive climate policy by the Israeli government. more»
350 Campaign Leader Comes to Israel – - Environmental activist, author and co-founder of the 350.org campaign, Bill McKibben came to Israel on September 6-7, 2009 as part of a worldwide tour to raise awareness for climate change action. The 350 campaign is organizing an international effort that will culminate in a global day of climate action on October 24th. Amazingly, there are over 4,200 events scheduled in 170 countries on October 24th, the largest international political action ever recorded in human history! more»
Climate Change and Israeli Policy – The Heinrich Boell Stiftung has defined the issue of climate change and sustainable development as being central to its work internationally, both in the areas of mitigation and adaptation. It advocates and advances an agenda for development rights for developing nations and contributes to seeking solutions in many international forums while at the same time, adapts its work to the specific context of each of its 28 offices around the world. more»
- The controversy about the use of nuclear power continues. In connection with the debate about climate change and what can be done about it, the nuclear industry and political forces that support it have undertaken efforts to present the use of nuclear power as a means of combatting climate change. The Heinrich Boell Foundation has published a paper “Nuclear Power – Myth and Reality” as early as February 2006, which argues against this notion.
The heated debate has recently become more evident also in Israel. In the Israeli newspaper Haaretz from August 7, 2009, Gal Luft demanded a serious debate on the use of nuclear energy in Israel, while practically proposing its use. Joern Boehme, the director of the Israel office answered the claims made by Gal Luft concerning the debate in Germany in a letter to the editor, published in Haaretz on August 18, 2009. Read the op-ed by Gal Luft followed by the response letter by Joern Boehme»
A European Community for Renewable Energies – According to an ambitious initiative launched by some of Europe's largest companies, the Sahara will become a power hub to provide renewable energy to Europe by the mid of the century. This project should become a cornerstone of a new European Community for renewable energies. By Ralf Fücks, Co-President of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung more»
Nuclear Power - Myth and Reality – The deep divide over nuclear power is nearly as old as its commercial use. The early dreams of its proponents have faded, whereas the high risks have remained, as well as the danger of misuse by military interests. Terrorism has introduced dramatic, concrete threat. Global warming and the finite nature of fossil fuels do not dispel the major safety issues associated with nuclear power. And the "accident-proof" reactor has remained an unfulfilled promise now for decades. Downlad the entire poistion paper (English, PDF, 34 pages, 157 kB)
Friends of the Earth Middle East, Updating Climate Resource Guide, Additional Capacity Building Sessions – Based on a comprehensive resource guide they developed in 2008, FoEME will continue to dialogue with the different stakeholders in order to build capacity, hold a conference and update the resource guide to include the regional perspective and developments since the UN Copenhagen conference in December. The project is being implemented in cooperation with other environmental NGOs.
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Israel Energy Forum, Promoting Energy Conservation in Israel – By working with stakeholders in different sectors including industry, local and national government, utility companies and tourism, the Israel Energy Forum aims to promote policies that increase energy efficiency and reduce demand that will lead to a more sustainable energy policy in Israel.
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Life & Environment, Paths to Sustainability NGO Coalition – The Sustainability Coalition, while working with its member organizations, seeks to impact Israeli policy on climate change through the production of reports and position papers, ongoing dialogue and advocacy with Knesset members and government officials, raising awareness in the media and capacity building. The focus in 2010 will be to follow up with decision makers post-Copenhagen, to launch a public campaign and to engage in inter-sector work with the business comminity on the topic of emisssions reduction.._______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Society for the Protection of Nature – Tel Aviv-Jaffa Branch, The Metropolitan Green Council Watch – The Green Council Watch increases public involvement and transparency of municipal councils in the Greater Tel Aviv area and seeks to impact master plans that emphasize socio-environmental issues and solutions. In 2010, the project advocates for the creation of inter-municipal cooperation on sustainable planning and environmental issues.
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The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership, Utilizing the Internet to Build a Network of Social-Environmental Advocates www.greenchange.co.il – The Sustainability Network seeks to take the message of environmental sustainability to the wider Israeli public by using web technology to connect people, share ideas and information and implement projects that cross sectors and will facilitate a sustainability movement in Israel. In 2010, the project will implement virtual and real events to nurture a sustainability community.
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The Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy, Tel Aviv University, Environmental Policy Center - This new initiative has created a center for the research, analysis and dissemination of environmental policy position papers and recommendations and will work with diverse stake holders – academia, civil society and decision makers. The center this year will implement two courses and will hold an international conference in the fall of 2010.