Future investors in Israeli businesses may be able to judge a company by its green record. According to the Jerusalem Post, last week the Environmental Protection Ministry, financial groups, the European Commission green and the green umbrella organization Life and the Environment, got together to hash over a green metric system.
Opinion writer Asher Meir noted a few potential pitfalls – how can the environmental parameters ensure accuracy, how much will it cost, and who will keep tabs on smaller companies?
But the Environmental Protection Ministry published an enthusiastic statement ahead of the conference. It looked at the Carmel Chemical company, whose environmental record was so bad that the Ministry revoked its hazardous materials permit. If polluting companies are put on an environmental blacklist, then they won’t get the funding necessary to operate, and the state will save on future cleanup costs.
One big winner from a green metric could be Israel’s cleantech industry, which includes irrigation technology, solar energy and even green flame retardants. Starting these companies depends on foreign investors, like the delegation that came in May from California. Bearing in mind Meir’s warnings, this project could give the local green industry a time to shine.
:: Photo from Frogandprincess
Author: Daniella Cheslow
Daniella Cheslow grew up in a car-dependent suburb in New Jersey, where she noticed strip malls and Wal-Marts slowly replacing farmland. Her introduction to nature came through hiking trips in Israel. As a counselor for a freshman backpacking program at Northwestern University, Daniella noticed that Americans outdoors seemed to need to arm themselves with performance clothing, specialized water bottles and sophisticated camping silverware. This made her think about how to interact with and enjoy nature simply. This year, Daniella is getting a Master’s in Geography from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. She also freelance writes, photographs and podcasts. In her free time, she takes day trips in the desert, drops off compost and cooks local foods like stuffed zucchini, kubbeh and majadara. Daniella gets her peak oil anxiety from James Howard Kunstler and her organic food dreams from Michael Pollan. Read more at her blog, TheTruthHerzl.com. Daniella can be reached at daniella (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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