Following the Environmental Protection Ministry’s discouraging report about Israel’s air pollution, the country must wake up, according to a top industry expert.
“The potential to generate electricity on the roofs of buildings is huge and achievable, and this policy should be encouraged as much as possible in order for Israel to run a low-carbon economy,” Nir Peleg, CEO of Enerpoint Solar Energy, said at the Conference on Energy and the Economy recently.
The Environmental Protection Ministry found that air pollution cost the country about NIS 12.9 billion in external costs in 2020, including NIS 7.7b. due to greenhouse gas emissions. The external costs caused by carbon dioxide emissions rose by 20% last year.
Despite much progress in lowering emissions, Israel’s per capita methane emissions are still higher than the global average, with 1.3 tons being produced per capita, while the world average stands at 1.07 tons and the EU average stands at 0.89 tons. Methane makes up 12% of Israel’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The 6th Conference on Energy and the Economy, with the topic of how to progress from the pandemic to a modern and advanced competitive economy based on renewable energy sources, was attended by Energy Minister Karin Elharar, MK Alex Kushnir, chairman of the Finance Committee, Udi Adiri, director-general of the Energy Ministry, Amir Foster of the Association of Oil and Gas Exploration Industries and Eitan Parnas, CEO of the CEO of the Green Energy Association of Israel, among others.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.