There is no avoiding the issue of climate change and imperatively, the issue is being increasingly prioritized on the international agenda. In May of this year, a new study led by the Weizmann Institute of Science concluded that storms in the Southern Hemisphere have already reached intensity levels previously predicted to occur only in the year 2080. In short, the report indicated, worryingly, that the Earth’s climate is changing even faster than predicted.
Much needs to be done globally. In Israel, the climate issue has always been a consideration. Its arid climate and shortage of natural resources forced Israel to be creative in the spheres of energy and water management. Since the 1950’s solar panels have been used to heat water in close to 90% of homes while the country’s water revolution was accomplished through a combination of national water conservation campaigns, reusing water for agricultural purposes, and the construction of energy-efficient desalination plants.
As they have done in other sectors, such as water and cybersecurity, Israeli policymakers and industries collaborated, not only to tackle challenges, but also to stimulate industry sector evolution by supporting innovation, growing indigenous companies, and ultimately creating solutions for the domestic market and global export. The significant report: Israel’s State of Climate Tech 2021 by the Israel Innovation Authority and PLANETTech – a nonprofit innovation community for climate change technologies – reaffirmed this collaborative commitment.
Today, according to Startup Nation Central, Israel is home to more than 700 companies that offer “ClimateTech” solutions that transcend many sectors such as Manufacturing, Construction, Alternative Food, Agriculture, Transport and Mobility, and Water. Among those are companies such as:
Electriq~Global https://www.electriq.com has developed a fuel that comprises 60% water. The company’s process technology extracts hydrogen from liquid fuel, which is then harnessed to create electricity to power vehicles.
Tomorrow – https://www.tomorrow.io/space/ whose technology aims to democratize access to global weather forecasting and enable organizations to prepare for and mitigate the business impact of weather.
ECOncrete- http://www.econcretetech.com/ which produces bio-enhancing concrete technology that supports biodiversity, and carbon storage, and offers superior structural performance to any concrete marine infrastructure.
Electreon- https://electreon.com/ is a leading provider of wireless charging solutions and end-to-end electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to global partners, regional municipalities, Departments of Transportation, and fleet operators. Electron currently operates a first-of-a-kind wireless Electric Road and stationary charging station in Tel Aviv.
In addition to this, many multinational companies, such as Mercedes Benz, Asos, Hitachi, and Uber are partnering with Israeli climate-tech solutions companies, further amplifying their impact around the world.
This type of global interaction and cooperation is essential and it can also offer economic and technological development and opportunity. To quote President Issac Herzog, who launched the Israeli Climate Forum earlier this year; “The global climate crisis is here with full force, and it is getting worse. We have a mighty mission, and we will rise to it only if we work together, in an Israeli partnership, in a Middle Eastern partnership, and a partnership of all of humanity.”
