Opening the first Circular Economy Conference in Israel

The “statup nation” Israel is embracing the circular economy and they are serious about it. On February 19th one of the country’s leading law firms Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co hosted the inaugural Circular Economy Israel Summit where the Israeli Circular Economy Platform was lauched. The Conference gathered representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, Ministry of Environmental Protection, AmCham in Israel, senior representatives from universities and companies, many of whom presented their circular solutions.

Ladeja Godina Košir was invited as keynote speaker to talk about CC’s journey, and especially on the potential for deeper collaboration between the EU and Israel. As head of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform she emphasized that the Platform severs as a hub to connect stakeholders not only from Europe, but increasingly also from other parts of the world.

She was followed by speakers from different fields, who have shown how much is already happening in Israel. Especially interesting was the lecture by Eran Yaakov, Head of the Israel Tax Authority who delivered clear message: Taxes are a very powerful tool for behavioural change that drives sustainability! Back in 2008 Israel already published a report on externalities and adjusted taxes for certain categories.