For the first time ever, there is an Israeli pavilion at the annual climate summit, being held at Sharm El Sheikh, to focus on climate innovation and solutions

This year, 2022, is the year when it became clear to us all that we are in the midst of a powerful climate crisis that is only getting worse. Widespread floods in Pakistan displaced tens of millions from their homes and flooded about a third of the country. Devastating hurricanes hit the East Coast of the US and the Caribbean, wreaking havoc on a massive scale. Severe droughts dried up great rivers in Europe and China. This is only a partial list of the major disasters which UN experts have told us time and time again, are only likely to increase as we continue to emit greenhouse gases.

Presently, world leaders, government representatives, experts, representatives of the private sector and civil society, academics, opinion shapers, and policy formulators have come together at the COP 27 annual climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss ways to prevent the climate crisis. Success of the conference is of the utmost importance. So too is the advancement of all the issues it will focus on, such as the continuation of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adoption of a global goal for adaptation and adjustment to the climate crisis, increasing climate financing and progress on the topic of “loss and damage,” as well as advancing cooperation in the exchange of knowledge and experience.

Israel, located in an arid region and facing chronic water shortages, high temperatures, and a difficult environment for agricultural development, has had to invent creative solutions. Through decades of knowledge and experience, it has found practical solutions to climate challenges, which Israel wishes to share and collaborate on in order to bring about their implementation.

These solutions involve areas that are essential to handling the climate crisis, such as efficiency of water resources and creation of new water sources, drought-resistant agriculture and precision agriculture, invention of animal protein substitutes and sustainable crops, energy efficiency and energy storage, restoration and preservation of forests in arid areas, circular economy, and the production of new materials that are climate and environment-friendly.

Hundreds of startups in Israel are creating technologies that answer many of today’s environmental challenges, such as pollution, drought, habitat loss and the need to develop alternative sources of energy. Israeli innovators are pioneering solutions for harnessing clean hydrogen energy from algae, revolutionising pesticides for sustainability, keeping food fresher longer and much more.

Many ideas also come from an active and aware civil society, which contributes to the climate-environmental discourse and activities, ideas that often are then integrated into government action.

Israel is famous for “making the desert bloom” by developing advanced technologies in the fields of irrigation, water desalination, cloud seeding, combating desertification, and wastewater recycling. For many decades, Israel has successfully overcome harsh climatic conditions and knows how to maximise resources in an arid environment. Now that many countries face the need to adapt to climate change, Israel finds itself in a unique position to provide both expertise and technology.

To pursue sustainable development, MASHAV—Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, is engaged in different projects all over the world, including India. Two experts—an Agriculture Attache and a Water Attache—are posted in India who are closely working with the federal and state governments in the field of agriculture and water.

The model of cooperation that India and Israel have built over the years is called the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP), which is the largest Israeli agriculture project in the world. Under this project, we have 29 fully-active Indo-Israeli Centers of Excellence across India. These centres implement Israeli agro-techniques tailored to local conditions and provide training to Indian farmers. MASHAV also brings Israeli experts to India and trains the trainers of these centres throughout the year.

Water security is another significant aspect of our partnership with India. The importance of this partnership can be understood from the fact that India is the only country wherein Israel has the position of a Water Attache to help share Israeli best practices and technologies for advancements in India’s water management sector.

Both Governments have a memorandum of understanding or MoU on cooperation in water resource management and development signed in 2016 wherein they have identified various projects under the Indo-Israel cooperation. Presently we have a flagship water project underway in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, to make 25 villages of the region water sustainable with the existing infrastructure. Green energy is another sector where we are proud to deepen our cooperation. Israel joined the India-led International Solar Alliance during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Israel in October 2021.

The I2U2 Group, established by Israel, India, the UAE, and the United States, has announced two key projects in India, in the fields of food security and clean energy. The I2U2 partners agreed to cooperate to mobilise private sector capital and expertise to help modernise infrastructure, decarbonise industries, improve public health, and promote the development of green technologies. In turn, these projects will greatly benefit the people of India.

Further evidence of Israel’s desire to share information is the establishment, for the first time, of an Israeli pavilion at the COP conference. The pavilion will focus on climate innovation and solutions, and dozens of events aimed at creating international and regional cooperation in the Middle East will be held. We understand that regional and international cooperation is critical to dealing with the climate crisis; therefore, our goal is that every event at the Israeli pavilion will create a long-term partnership and process. The participation of an especially large and high-ranking Israeli delegation is also expected. The delegation will include representatives from all the sectors that must be harnessed in order to deal with the climate crisis: government, civil society, the private sector, local government, academia, and more.

In order to overcome the climate crisis, humanity needs practical, applicable solutions to build climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that can be implemented on a local as well as a global scale. These solutions should help meet global mitigation goals and reinforce resilience among countries and communities that are already affected, as well as assist in the implementation of the UN’s sustainable development goals—the SDGs.

International cooperation in the field of climate innovation also provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen the economy for the benefit of all, create new jobs, and advance human prosperity, while preserving nature, the climate and ecological diversity.

Israel’s climate innovation can help the entire world develop the capabilities it needs to adapt to the climate crisis and build resilience.

Israel is eager to contribute its share of experience, as well as to learn from the experience of others. Israel and India can lead the way for sustainable development to establish tailor-made and state-of-the-art solutions for the developing world, in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

We all have an important part to play in preventing the climate crisis. Israel hopes that the Sharm el-Sheikh conference will be a great success and mark a positive turning point in the future of humanity. You are invited to come and see us at the Israeli pavilion at COP 27 in the Sharm el-Sheikh conference!

(The author is Ambassador of Israel to India)