PARIS — Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg, Energy Minister Karin Elharar and Israel’s ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Haim Assaraf met today with US climate envoy John Kerry. The Israeli delegation told Kerry that Israel will be joining the American and European-led initiative for a global 30% reduction in methane gas emissions by 2030. The initiative, to be presented at the COP26 summit in Glasgow at the beginning of November, will join world efforts to reduce emissions of CO2.

Zandberg said at the meeting with Kerry that the window of opportunity for battling climate change is closing by the minute, which is why Israel decided to join this important initiative. Her ministry has already prepared a strategic plan for trash management in order to significantly reduce methane emissions in Israel.

The Israeli delegation participated yesterday and today in the OECD annual ministerial council, dedicated this year to building a green and inclusive future. It was the first time that Israel has sent two female ministers to the high-level meeting.

On July 23, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, together with the ministers of environmental protection, energy, finance, foreign affairs, transportation, economy and interior, announced that the government was setting an ambitious national goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least 85% from Israel’s 2015 levels. Elharar explained to Al-Monitor that on top of reducing CO2 emissions, the government adopted measures for promoting climate change solutions, including encouraging the use of electric vehicles, prioritizing green, energy-efficient construction and taxing carbon as of 2023. Taking into account that the latter is likely to increase the price of household electricity, the government will put in place a subsidy system to assist poor families with the expected higher rates.