Today, March 2nd, 2023, the British Embassy in Israel and the Center for Jewish Impact co-hosted a Diplomatic Salon at the British Ambassador’s Residence focused on creating opportunities for regional cooperation though ClimateTech and building climate resilience in the Middle East.
This cooperation is possible thanks to the Abraham Accords, which created new opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships around emerging challenges in sustainability. The clear offering of innovative tech solutions from Israel, the UK, and other regional countries can be harnessed to solve current and future challenges and serve as shared ground to combat these challenges together.
At COP27, the UK partnered with Israel on a panel discussing 'Global and regional cooperation towards Net-Zero in 2050', done in partnership with Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE and highlighting the UK’s support for the Abraham Accords and its efforts to promote global cooperation towards the 2050 Net-Zero goal. All participants showed appetite for energy diplomacy via regional collaboration, enhancing the collaboration between the government and private sector.
Today's Diplomatic Salon was a forum for tangible next steps; offering further insight into existing regional cooperation and identifying actionable opportunities for building climate resilience through climate-tech. More than 60 guests participated in the forum, including Ambassadors, diplomats, government officials and climate experts from the private, public and civil society sectors.
The event, hosted by UK Ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, and Center for Jewish Impact Chairman, Robert Singer, featured a panel discussion to discuss substantial opportunities for building regional climate resilience through climate-tech, with Dr Bracha Halaf, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Gravity Climate Fund; Shira Efron, Advisor to Israel’s Ministry of Defence on Climate Change Adaptation, and Steve Elbaz, Co-CEO, Watergen. As well as remarks by Ambassador Gideon Behar, Israel's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability
Furthermore, two Israeli companies, leaders in the field of Climate Tech who operate regionally, have shared their success stories - Dana Global, an Abu Dhabi based venture builder and investment platform, and Aleph Farms, an Israeli start-up, developing Lab-Grown meat alternatives and its role in fostering regional food security through meat-independence.
UK Ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, said: “I have seen first-hand the strength of Israel’s tech sector, including on climate. With Abraham Accord countries, and with the UK, there is huge potential for new collaborations to combat climate challenges in the Middle East and across the world. We hope to continue facilitating this dialogue and encourage new research, innovation, and climate-tech solutions.”
Center for Jewish Impact Chairman, Robert Singer, said: "We are glad that our Diplomatic Salon series can serve as a pragmatic platform to promote inclusive discussions and build regional climate resilience, bringing together Government, diplomats, civil society, and the private sector. The Center for Jewish Impact firmly believes that by collaborating regionally and inclusively is the key for building a better future for all."
