Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation Plan for the State of Israel: Strategies, Incentives and Reporting

摘要

Israel has taken a major step forward towards planning for, and initiating the implementation of, measures that are expected to lead to GHG reductions that would benefit its economy. The action plan that was adopted is expected to lead to reductions of close to 16 MMT CO2e. However, this amount is short by 6 million tonnes from the 22 million tonnes CO2e emission reductions target that was previously declared. It is, therefore, essential to continuously review other actions that could be undertaken, either by mandatory measures and/or through voluntary initiatives, that could help in closing the gap between the targeted and the anticipated GHG emission reductions. A notable gap in the action plan presented is the issue of fuel switching in the power sector, including the introduction of renewable energy technologies, such as solar, wind and biomass, into the local energy market. In 2011 the government of Israel reaffirmed its commitment to a target of 10% electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020. However, a myriad of bureaucratic delays and financing difficulties, along with other regional geopolitical events, are jeopardizing attainment of these renewable electricity goals while energy demands are continuing to grow. Some of the shortcomings of the national GHG mitigation plan include: 1. The total emissions reduction in the GHG Mitigation Plan does not meet the desired reduction goal of 20% of BAU by 2020. It accounts for only 15.94 million tCO2e rather than the required 22 million tCO2e; 2. The majority of the budget is directed to energy efficiency tools, neglecting other means that may have significant - though unproven reduction potential; 3. The plan does not address directly the fuel mix for power generation in Israel and does not account for the large upcoming increase in Natural Gas supply to the economy; 4. The benefits for the Israeli market are anticipated to be high, yet these benefits are not expected to be redirected into an investment fund that could be used to finance further GHG reduction initiatives; 5. The plan is quite vague on its applicability and implementation at government owned installations and enterprises; 6. Since the plan is not a legislative mandate but rather an executive decision ratified by the ruling government at the time, the funding allocated to its implementation may vary due to political and fiscal considerations.