Introduction
The National Institute for Climate and Environmental Policy was established in 2024 at Ben-Gurion University, jointly by the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change and the Glazer Faculty of Management. The mission of the institute is to promote science-based climate and environmental policy for the benefit of humanity, society, and the economy.
Background and Strategy
The climate crisis and the ecological crisis are striking the world with great intensity and speed. The current era, called the "era of global boiling," sees scientific forecasts regarding global warming and its consequences materializing sooner and more severely than expected. Human activities exert increasing pressure on natural resources, posing humanity with the greatest challenge ever: achieving sustainable balance with our environment to survive and thrive long-term.
This is a global challenge but not an equal one. The Middle East is particularly vulnerable to climate damage. The sea, land, and desert are shared by countries and communities in the region, creating a range of threats to national security, food security, the economy, society, and life itself. These significant challenges also harbor great opportunities. To realize these opportunities, it is essential to harness knowledge, capabilities, and human skills and collaborate both locally and globally. This id the only way we can meet the enormous challenge of our generation.
Israel is positioned in a leading role for itself, the region, and the world, particularly in the era following October 7, which presents opportunities for regional and national recovery and necessitates regional cooperation and international involvement.
Institute Goals
The Climate and Environmental Policy Institute at Ben-Gurion University was established recognizing the need to act more and faster. Our insight is that the actions to address the climate crisis undertaken by the government, local authorities, and the private sector can be improved and made more efficient through science-based decision-making.
Climate research is developing rapidly, as are policy actions. The challenge is that the connection between them is sometimes weak and always improvable. The institute's mission is to harness the forefront of science and research at Ben-Gurion University and Israeli academia for optimal and relevant policy (best practices).
The institute will consistently work on translating scientific and research insights into clear, feasible, and measurable policy steps, routinely disseminating, making accessible, and embedding them in the public and among policymakers. Additionally, the institute will identify needs and gaps in climate and environmental policy and create knowledge and research to address them. Thus, the institute will make a decisive contribution to shaping climate policy and impacting the reality of life in Israel, the region, and the world.
Initial Actions and Achievements
The institute has already begun its operations. It is currently mapping and prioritizing scientific research at Ben-Gurion University and among partners from government bodies and civil society, identifying and extracting policy papers in various climate fields. For example, we are in close dialogue with the government on green transportation taxation, working on a first-of-its-kind policy paper on integrating climate and environmental considerations in the rehabilitation of the Tkuma region, and participating in various working groups on topics such as health and environment, risk management, and more.
Leadership
The institute is headed by Tamar Zandberg, former Minister of Environmental Protection. Zandberg is an alumna of Ben-Gurion University and joined the university to establish and lead the institute after two decades of public, social, and environmental activity in the Knesset and government. During her tenure, Israeli climate policy reached unprecedented heights, and she believes that together we can position the Climate and Environmental Policy Institute, Ben-Gurion University, Israeli academia, and the State of Israel in a leadership position that will elevate climate and environmental policy to new heights for the benefit of society and humanity.
