Dr. Ofir Rubin
of the Department of Public Policy & Administration at the
Guilford Glazer Faculty
of Business & Management, a member of the BGU Green Council (“Green
Campus”) and researcher specializing in
energy economics, represented
the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel’s official delegation at the UN
Climate Change Conference, Paris Nov 30-Dec. 11, 2015.
The
Conference resulted in 195 countries adopting a new universal, legally
binding global climate deal, the first major multilateral deal of the 21st
century, sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid
dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C.
“The
deal is the culmination of years of efforts by the international community to
bring about a universal multilateral agreement on climate change. Following
limited participation in the Kyoto Protocol and the lack of agreement in
Copenhagen in 2009, the EU has been building a broad coalition of developed and
developing countries in favour of high ambition that shaped the successful
outcome of the Paris conference. The Paris Agreement sends a clear signal to
investors, businesses, and policy-makers that the global transition to clean
energy is here to stay and resources have to shift away from polluting fossil
fuels.” [from European Commission -
Press release]
Previously,
The 2-week Lima-Paris Action Agenda, an initiative of the Peruvian and French
COP (Conference of the Parties ) Presidencies, resulted in a call for member
countries to submit to the convention’s secretariat national aim to reduce emissions
for the long term.
The
new agreement obligates all the countries, including Israel, to prepare implemental
programs to reduce emissions as an integral part of the joint global efforts.
For
this purpose, In Israel, an inter-ministerial commission comprised of
representatives from all the relevant ministries and organizations has been
formed. The Commission is at its peak in
working towards submitting recommendations to the government and to formulate
an agreement to be accepted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
and to instill an Israeli standpoint. In addition, the Commission is promoting activities
to increase public awareness that will emphasize how Israel is positioning
itself in consolidating the national agenda and commitment, as well as to
present the existing opportunities of implementing intelligent policies.
Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev was given this opportunity to participate in the Commission
due to its “Green Campus” initiative through which BGU promotes social and
community projects and enterprises that raise public awareness and a sense of
environmental responsibility among the University and the many communities
around Beer-Sheva and the Negev. In 2014
the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was ranked first place in Israel and 24th
place globally, in the GreenMetric World University Ranking among 362
universities worldwide. The “Green Campus” Project led by the University’s “Green
Council” which has representatives from all University Faculties and varying
Departments, encourages and promotes a plethora of research and community
activities relating to environment and sustainability. These included research and development in
areas relating to the intelligent use of resources and the reduction of their consumption,
environmental and nature preservation, environmental education, public “green”
policy and more.
Along with Dr. Ofir Rubin from the Department
of Public Policy Administration at the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business
& Management, Israel was represented by the Samuel Neaman Institute of the
Technion Institute, the Porter School for Environmental Studies of the Tel-Aviv
University.
