news
Science and environment
State Comptroller: The State of Israel is not prepared for the climate crisis
The scathing report published by Engelman shows that the state does not meet the already low targets it sets for itself in the fight against environmental damage, the principal established this year works without adequate resources and the economy is facing a turmoil that the government is not preparing for properly.
"Data is a significant warning light"
Tags
Climate crisis
global warming
Yoav Itiel
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 4:00 p.m.
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on general
Share on general
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
0 comments
Walla Flash!
We ticked 26.10.21
A truck hit a bridge on Road 1, the road to Tel Aviv was blocked ...
Corona vaccine study in 18-12 year olds: 90% efficacy ...
Avi Berger at trial in the case of the former prime minister ...
Assault on a woman in south Tel Aviv: Foreign citizen accused of burglary, assault ...
On the way to a military coup in Sudan: Prime Minister arrested ...
Watch: Squadron 13 and special forces of the US Army take over ...
Five facts about allergies
Eva Collings talks about the "dirty talk" in bed that caused ...
A mysterious object in the skies of London
Michaeli attacked the declaration on the Palestinian terrorist organizations: ...
Government meeting 24.10.21
In the video: The State Comptroller refers to the report on the climate crisis (Photo: State Comptroller's Office)
"The State of Israel is not prepared for the climate crisis and there has not yet been a change in perception of Israeli policy on the issue," said State Comptroller Netanyahu Engelman, in the first report of its kind in the world, which he tabled today (Wednesday). The report comes on the eve of their departure next week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Minister of Energy, karin elharar and Minister of the Environment, Tamar Zandberg United Nations Conference for Climate to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
State Comptroller's report indicates that 84% of public bodies Israel has no plan Climate risk preparedness, and they have not yet budgeted the necessary actions for this: 89% of the bodies did not work with the Ministry of Finance to promote plans on the subject.The auditor finds that 82% of 63 public bodies in Israel did not examine the issue Did not perform risk mapping and the effects of climate change on their activities.
"Israel is one of the few countries in the world that does not yet operate on the basis of a budgeted and approved national deployment plan, even though it is in an area at increased risk and therefore even more exposed to the risks of climate change," the comptroller states. According to the State Comptroller, "These data constitute a warning light."
Concurrent with the publication of the report, Comptroller Engelman says: "Last week I was exposed to publications according to which the government promotes a declaration of national emergency after the report has passed to the various government ministries and this measures the effectiveness of government. ".
"The climate crisis is no longer an environmental issue with limited effects, but a key component of the national strategy to strengthen public resilience. The climate crisis affects all areas of life - the environment, the economy, health, transportation and more, and I see importance in Israel participating in the global effort in assessments. "For the climate crisis. We owe it to ourselves and even more to our children and future generations."
More on Walla!
Bennett: We will treat the climate crisis as an issue of national security
To the full article
"We owe it to ourselves, our children and future generations" (Photo: Official website, Green Trend)
The climate crisis has systemic characteristics of a national crisis. The report shows that this is also the opinion of a majority of 87% of government bodies in Israel. However, in Israel it has not yet been officially declared a threat, or a strategic issue that justifies a systematic deployment of state bodies such as the National Security Council, the defense establishment, the National Economic Council, etc. It has also not been declared a "climatic emergency". They are working to create long-term prevention or for some systemic preparation to deal with the expected effects.
This is a comprehensive and comprehensive report, spanning more than 650 pages, on all government actions. Yes, it recommends that the State of Israel take action on the matter and complete the formulation of national and sectoral action plans, based on the allocation of the necessary resources, and join the global trend of preparing for climate change.
The report shows that the OECD and other countries present updated targets for renewable energy for 2030 ranging from 40% to 100%, while Israel presents a new target of 30% - the lowest of the OECD countries which according to the Paris Agreement are supposed to present absolute and ambitious values and lead The global carbon reset (decarbonization) process.
Setting targets that will increase investment in fossil energy infrastructure by 2030 could jeopardize the transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050 and he notes that the Ministry of Energy has not set a target for renewable energies by 2050 and did not specify in its roadmap in 2021 how it intends to achieve its emission reduction target Without ambitious goals for renewable energies.
Walla Flash!
We ticked 26.10.21
A truck hit a bridge on Road 1, the road to Tel Aviv was blocked ...
Corona vaccine study in 18-12 year olds: 90% efficacy ...
Avi Berger at trial in the case of the former prime minister ...
Assault on a woman in south Tel Aviv: Foreign citizen accused of burglary, assault ...
On the way to a military coup in Sudan: Prime Minister arrested ...
Watch: Squadron 13 and special forces of the US Army take over ...
Five facts about allergies
Eva Collings talks about the "dirty talk" in bed that caused ...
A mysterious object in the skies of London
Michaeli attacked the declaration on the Palestinian terrorist organizations: ...
Government meeting 24.10.21
In the video: The State Comptroller refers to the report on the climate crisis (Photo: State Comptroller's Office)
In general, the picture that emerges from the review is that per capita emissions in Israel are high compared to other countries: Although the per capita emission trend is mainly declining, compared to the 29 OECD countries surveyed, Israel was ranked tenth (in the top third) in the list of countries with the emission rate. Highest per capita. The emission values for Israel's relatively high square kilometers (3.6 tons per square kilometer as of 2018), combined with being a country with a population of about 9.3 million people, result in Israel emitting greenhouse gases on a similar scale to a medium-sized country.
The Comptroller notes that Israel has set a goal of reducing emissions per capita only, although developed countries must set goals with absolute and ambitious values. Setting per capita targets allows Israel to increase the amount of absolute emissions as long as there is a population increase, in contrast to the (negative) trend in the other OECD countries.
Israel set an emission reduction target that was expected to lead to an absolute 103% increase in emissions compared to 1990 and 12% compared to 2005, while the targets of the other countries surveyed (Switzerland, EU, Canada, United States, Mexico and South Korea) were expected to lead to a decrease. An average of 32% and 33%, respectively. The Comptroller states that, therefore, Israel is not a "leading" country (taking the lead) in setting targets for the reduction of the GHG as required by the Paris Agreement. Progress in achieving all sectoral targets ranges from "lagging" to zero.
Various guidelines in government decisions, mechanisms to encourage energy efficiency on the one hand and barriers on the other, have not been implemented since the decisions were made.
Therefore, the sectoral goals of the Israeli government in reducing greenhouse gas emissions were not achieved, so that despite the goal of reducing private travel by 20%, it increased from 42 billion km in 2015 to about 50 billion km in 2019. According to the Ministry of "May 2021" The government is not expected to meet the transportation sector's target of reducing private commuting. "In addition, the Ministry of Transportation has not prepared an individual plan to reduce private commuting as required.
(Photo: Screenshot, State Comptroller)
As for the energy efficiency target of 20%, the case finds that Israel did not meet the targets it set for 2020, and in practice the energy efficiency was about 62% less than the target set. In addition, out of NIS 800 million allocated in government decisions in favor of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through streamlining, at least NIS 500 million was not used.
With the goal of generating electricity from renewable energies, Israel did not meet the 10% target it set for 2020 (in practice - a rate of 35% - 40% less than the target set), and the progress towards achieving a target of 17% renewable energy for 2030 is small (especially in the face of the emerging target of 30 %), And reached only 6.1% as of the end of 2020.
Investment in infrastructure: According to the OECD, since 1997 approximately investment in infrastructure in Israel has been lower than the average investment in OECD countries. As of 2016, investment in infrastructure in Israel is estimated at about 2% of GDP, while the OECD average is about 3.4% - 3.5% of GDP (about 75% more than in Israel).
National preparations for adaptation to climate change are lacking
The need to implement preparatory actions at the national and strategic level to promote effective preparedness for climate change was raised in the Israeli government 12 years ago in Resolution 474, as well as in the Recommendation Document for Strategy and National Action Plan 2017;
Government Resolution 4079 from 2018 and a preparation report written in Israel in 2021 by an administration established in the Ministry of Environmental Protection to prepare for climate change.
However, the report's findings show that Israel does not have a feasible national action plan that it operates on, so the overarching goal of its decision that "Israel will be highly prepared for the effects of a changing climate" has not been achieved.
Of the 378 tasks included in Government Resolution 4079, only 60 (16%) were budgeted and included in the office work plans and set deadlines and deadlines for implementation.
The administration has not been given powers to carry out its functions, it operates without being allocated the necessary resources to promote the actions imposed on it, without designated standards and without an organizational framework approved by the Civil Service Commission.
In the absence of a budget, research activities have not yet been promoted for effective preparation, development of a methodology for risk analysis or testing in the economic context, such as examining the damage to the economy, prevention costs and direct and indirect benefits arising from actions needed for national preparation.
The State of Israel's Climate Change Preparation Report submitted to the Government for approval by the Administration in April 2021, including recommendations for budgeting about 50 projects immediately, without being given powers to carry out its functions and a long-term dedicated budget that will enable them to be implemented.
It lacks most of the bodies recommended by the scientific work and recommendations for a national strategy adopted by the government as is also accepted in the world.
"This data constitutes a warning light."
Engelman (Photo: Reuven Castro)
From February 2020 to June 2021, the State Comptroller's Office examined aspects related to the activities of dozens of government ministries and government and public bodies on the issue of Israel's coping with climate change. In the bottom line, he proposes to examine a perceptual change regarding the way in which the climate problem is addressed, the normative and institutional framework in which work is being done on the issue, and the policy tools that will be adopted.
This special audit report on the Israeli government's actions and preparations for the climate crisis was presented to the Knesset in the afternoon and presented to the public ahead of the COP26 World Climate Conference, which will convene in Glasgow next week in the midst of policy decisions. This world, which is expected to accompany it in the coming decades as well.
The expansive monumental report addresses this issue on several levels: the inter-ministerial level, which includes dozens of government ministries and public bodies;
The sectoral level - public, private and civil;
The sectoral level that includes economic sectors such as energy and transportation;
And the international level.
These planes are intertwined and complement a peripheral examination of the subject.
The economic aspect
The auditor notes that the effects of climate change are likely to cause tangible damage to various sectors of the economy over time while also impairing the ability to provide products and services and price stability in the economy.
The extent of the expected economic loss is still unknown as it is derived from the severity of climate damage, and therefore uncertainty is a key component in preparedness, and risk management and cost-benefit analysis help make decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
Also tackling the climate crisis and efforts to move to a low-carbon economy have implications for the employment market but the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Labor and Welfare have not examined their implications for the employment market.
In 2018, the Public Investment Authority's public investment rate in the fields of energy, water, environment and sustainability was 4%, the third lowest rate among the fields surveyed.
Comparative data regarding other OECD countries also show that in the field of climate-related technologies, Israel is ranked at the bottom of the ranking ladder with three other countries, and it has advanced by 2% in 2016 to 2018 compared to 2000 to 2002.
An unedited country
The report shows that Israel is not prepared organizationally, functionally and professionally to deal with the climate crisis.
The picture that emerges from the criticism is that the tools used by the government today, such as short- and medium-term decision-making based on classical cost-benefit analysis, are insufficient to challenge the climate crisis.
Criticism has shown that the climate crisis is characterized by built-in uncertainty that has in some cases contributed to the difficulty of promoting government action (as in the case of promoting national preparedness and non-budgeting and non-determination of the rate of renewable energies for 2050).
It further shows that the key considerations guiding relevant government bodies to address the climate issue and their public priorities are responsible are not always consistent with the promotion of the climate issue. This is reflected in the relevant government ministries in the lack of allocation of manpower, budget or little clerical attention to the climate issue compared to the allocations to the public destinations at the core of these ministries' responsibilities. This type of conflict that is not resolved in an inter-ministerial discourse and by mutual agreement will be difficult to resolve in the absence of a hierarchy between the ministries and in the absence of an inclusive factor with a broad vision and decision-making authority between the ministries.
It has become clear that segmentation in the treatment of a horizontal and systemic issue such as the climate crisis leads to barriers and a multiplicity of conflicts between ministries - both in terms of the degree of ambition that must be pursued in setting climate goals, and in the right way to achieve them. This situation makes it difficult to include the considerations that exist among dozens of entities when making decisions about setting goals in the subject; And burdens the execution of the action of the government in the matter. According to the results of the questionnaire, 86% of government ministries and public bodies believe that the issue of the climate crisis is not being addressed properly.
The auditor finds that the treatment of the climate crisis, which is largely based on investment in infrastructure, is almost unbudgeted to the appropriate extent and in a dedicated manner.
For example, the establishment of a National Preparedness Administration for the risks associated with climate change operating without a budget and without dedicated manpower, or government decisions regarding the reduction of unbudgeted greenhouse gas emissions (except for partially budgeted energy efficiency), and the mechanism involved in their implementation.
Out of 83,000 civil servants only 4 are engaged in climate change specifically.
In the result test, a working model of budgeting in segments (by office) and one-time or spot budgeting does not allow for systemic advancement of the climate crisis issue while setting significant goals in the areas of adaptation and mitigation and their achievement.
Israel is not organizationally, functionally and professionally prepared to deal with the climate crisis.
Protest over the damage of the climate crisis (Photo: Flash 90, -)
Dr. Dov Hanin of Tel Aviv University, who was appointed last week by President Herzog to chair the Israeli Climate Forum, said in response: Extremely low targets and even in it she does not meet. And Israel is also one of the few countries that does not have a budgeted and approved deployment plan at all in the face of the dangers that exist. When in every civil service there are only 4 (!) Workers who deal with the climate crisis - there is no escape from the conclusion that our decision makers do indeed live on another planet and they are detached from the enormous challenge that now faces humanity.
Adam Teva VeDin stated that "the auditor's report states that only a climate law will lead to real change. The report strengthens our claim of long - standing government neglect and will increase human lives. According to the report, Israel does not define the climate crisis as one of its significant strategic threats. This is consistent with the fact that, apart from the Ministry of Higher Education, no government ministry is prepared or budgeted to deal with the crisis. "
Maya Yaakovs, CEO: Zalul: "Rachel and alongside them the academic institutions almost completely ignore the climate crisis and thereby endanger the environment and public health."
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on general
Share on general
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
0 comments
