Israel, like all other countries, is faced with the task of dealing with environmental issues and the challenge of establishing alternative energy sources. Having been hard hit by the oil crisis of the 70’s, the Israeli public’s environmental awareness has been continually increasing. The rise in awareness and the establishment of the Ministry of the Environment in 1988 meants that by the 90’s, an array of environmental policies had been set into motion. One of these was the requirement to install solar water-heating systems on all new residential buildings.
In a sunny country like Israel, it comes as no surprise that the most advanced renewable energy sector is the solar power industry. The history of solar power in Israel stretches all the way back to the 50’s, when a solar water heater was developed to help overcome energy shortages. By 1967, around one in every 20 households used solar power for heating their water. Today, solar energy is used in over 90% of Israeli homes.
With initial investments in the environment in the 90’s, the market for environmental products began to grow, leading to an increase in companies dealing with environmental goods and services. With plenty of experience, and a highly skilled and well-educated workforce, Israel has made significant advances in the field of eco-friendly products, such as electric cars, and solar technology that’s so advanced, that it’s almost cost-competitive with fossil fuels.
Although Israel still lags a bit behind in waste management, the government has finally started dealing with this issue too, and recent plans in waste management legislation (such as the packaging law and plans for a waste-collection system) suggest that these are but the first of many steps Israel intends to take toward implementing a comprehensive waste managment system.
