Greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan for the state of israel: Strategies, incentives and reporting

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 C02e. However, this amount is short by 6 million tonnes from the 22 million tonnes C02e 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.