Israel’s role in climate tech innovation: A blueprint for regional cooperation - opinion

Over the past two years, the United Nations Climate Change Conference has provided Israeli environmentalists with a respite from a stifling and painful reality back home. It offers a brief opportunity to look outward and find solace in preventing a climate catastrophe – an event that unites most nations around a shared cause of critical importance. 

This year, however, even this source of hope felt elusive. The choice of host country for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), for example, set low expectations from the outset: It seemed unrealistic to expect Azerbaijan to advocate for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a shift to sustainable energy, as these actions would directly challenge its economic foundation.  The official conference concluded this past weekend with minimal impact and no significant breakthroughs that would inspire hope. This comes at a time when the global order is in flux and the willingness to collaborate on shared challenges is steadily eroding.

International solidarity, reminiscent of the successful effort to address the hole in the ozone layer three decades ago, now feels like a distant memory. In the current global climate, the prospects of reaching agreements that drive meaningful change appear increasingly slim.

On a more optimistic note, however, I wish to highlight a source of hope closer to home, in the Middle East. At the Israeli pavilion, we hosted an event titled Advancing Regional Collaboration in Climate Innovation, conceived in a partnership that includes the Israel Democracy Institute, EcoPeace Middle East, and Startup Nation Central. 

Optimistic future

This initiative was launched approximately a year and a half ago, prior to the events of October 7. We assembled a professional team comprising dozens of entrepreneurs from Israel’s climate tech sector, together with representatives from government, academia, and diplomacy, to evaluate the potential for collaboration with neighboring countries. 

Simultaneously, we conducted comprehensive research and in-depth interviews to map the comparative advantages and challenges of each country in the region. 

We found, for example, that Israeli solar technology could be deployed on Jordanian soil with Emirati funding, while Bahrain’s business-friendly regulations could provide an ideal testing ground for a joint Egyptian-Israeli hydrogen technology pilot. 

The potential is vast. We are in the final stages of preparing a policy recommendations report, set to be published in the coming weeks and shared with key stakeholders in Israel and the international community. Our hope is that it will be embraced and implemented on a regional scale. 

Some might argue that, given the current reality, there is no chance of initiating such a process. These concerns are, perhaps, not entirely unfounded. However, through numerous off-the-record conversations with individuals in Israel and the region, we’ve learned that many are eagerly waiting for a moment of respite to renew frozen ties, restart stalled initiatives, and publicly announce cooperative projects already in the pipeline. 

Interest in the Israeli pavilion at the United Nations Climate Change Conference was truly remarkable this year.

Much like last year’s event in Dubai, it drew numerous visitors from countries not traditionally aligned with Israel. These visitors were captivated by the innovative solutions showcased by Israeli climate tech companies, which, in the absence of effective climate policy leadership, assumed a central role in both the pavilion and public diplomacy efforts. Indeed, members of the Israeli innovation community ensured Israel was on the map at the conference. 

Let there be no doubt: Israel remains a key player in climate innovation, with substantial international interest in developments originating in the Jewish state. However, sustaining this momentum requires a dual approach. 

On the one hand, we must strengthen Israel’s tech-science ecosystem through increased funding, R&D, support for the field in higher education, and the removal of regulatory barriers. On the other hand, we must plan and prepare for the “day after” the war and advance normalization with neighboring countries. With these prerequisites in place, we can truly envision a brighter future in every sense.

The writer is the head of the Climate Change Project: Israel 2050 at the Israel Democracy Institute. He was a delegate at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference.