The geographical location of Israel is not very favorable for development and progress. Despite that, the country has flourished tremendously. How did it make this possible? The answer is sustainability.
In Israel, sustainable development is not a frill or a buzzword; it is a necessity for improving the well-being of current and future generations. One of the reasons Israel places such a high value on the SDGs and the activities they spawn is because of this.
Israel the Start-up Nation
Israel has a vibrant tech sector that accounts for 35 to 40 per cent of its total GDP. The sector has earned the country the title of Start-up Nation, especially because of its sustainability solutions in various fields including communication, internet, medical systems, agriculture, biotechnology, security, water desalination, wastewater treatment and recycling, water management, digital printing and more.
Israel’s Solutions for Water Scarcity
Water Scarcity has long plagued the Middle East. Despite having scant natural resources, Israelis have found ways to deal with the problem through desalination, irrigation, and recycling. Israel has not only solved its own problem by assuring a reliable and safe supply for its citizens, but it has also established itself as a major international distributor of water technology.
According to a 2016 survey, Israel recycles 87 percent of its wastewater, with Spain coming in second with 20 percent. Israel also pioneered drip irrigation technology, which is said to help feed nearly one billion people by reducing a plant’s water consumption by up to 90%. The $2.2 billion in related technology exported by Israeli companies each year has played a significant role in guaranteeing clean water access in developing countries. This idea is amazing for a country with a population of only nine million people.
Israel’s Vision of Leaving No One Behind
Israel’s mission is to continue to develop its innovative culture and to extend it to all those in need on our globe, in order to put the noble concept of “leaving no one behind” into practise.
To that end, Israel is investing in innovation both at home and abroad to ensure that no one is left behind. For example, the Israel Innovation Authority collaborated with a number of other government agencies to develop custom R&D assistance tracks. The GCI Grand Challenges Program, which focuses on humanitarian health, agritech, and water challenges in developing countries, the Assistive Technology for the Disabled Program, which aims to improve the quality of life for the disabled and make their integration into society easier, and the Diverse Startups Program, which supports ultra-Orthodox and minority entrepreneurs, are just a few examples.
MNCs Collaborating to access the Sustainable Solutions by Israel
Multinational firms are also paying attention to Israeli innovation when it comes to sourcing solutions to support new climate change adaption tactics. L’Oreal, one of the world’s largest cosmetics businesses, announced a multi-year research and technology relationship with Israel-based BreezoMeter, a source of environmental information regarding air quality, at the end of last year. Their collaboration intends to find new insights into how the environment impacts skin aging and, as a result, give consumers new services that can help them with their skin needs anywhere in the world, including customized routines and lifestyle guidance.
Global online fashion retailers ASOS and Fashion-Enter Ltd. have been partnering with Israeli company Kornit Digital since May 2021 to explore the adoption of Kornit’s direct-to-fabric, digital-textile printing solutions, with the fashion industry accounting for about 8-10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater. Kornit’s technology eliminates water waste, reduces energy consumption, and reduces waste from the overproduction of fashion apparel goods.
On the clean mobility and transportation front, Hitachi is collaborating with REE Automotive of Israel to advance EV manufacturing at scale using REE’s flat and modular electric vehicle chassis. e-Mobility Power (eMP), Japan’s top provider of electric vehicle charging, has chosen Driivz to migrate and consolidate its complete network of over 27,000 chargers onto the Driivz end-to-end EV charging and smart energy management software platform. Gilbarco Veeder Root, based in the United States, purchased Driivz for $200 million in December 2021. Similarly, Mercedes-Benz announced an agreement with UBQ Materials earlier this month to use the Israeli company’s thermoplastic components, which were transformed from landfill waste, in all of its VISION EQXX all-electric cars.
Conclusion
Israel is leading the world with the example of sustainability and development being on the same side rather than opposites. The world can learn a lot from this and adopt the methods and technologies designed by the country to ensure the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals.
