With the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow, every day we hear of pledges and pacts by governments to reduce emissions to curb global warming. As such, one cannot help but wonder, where does the individual fit into this effort?
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After all, until the laws and regulations are finalized, the climate situation continues to deteriorate. Therefore, the responsibility lies, first and foremost, on heads of organizations, public officials, and you, the reader.
As residents of our respective countries and the planet as a whole, we must ask ourselves whether we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint.
As consumers, we have tremendous power. We can turn off the lights when we do not need them and opt for public transportation when possible. We can also demand transparency from service providers about their environmental impact, and choose cleaner and more environmentally friendly options.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that by 2050, the world's population will increase to almost 10 billion people and that 70% of them will live in cities. We will then be required to be more efficient in terms of planning and economics and it will prompt us to tackle air pollution and turn to more efficient energy sources.
Humanity is in a race against time. Scientists and public opinion leaders have already raised public awareness of global warming. Now is our turn.
Despite being a start-up nation that excels in innovation, Israel ignores the fact that high-tech can and should stand at the forefront of climate solutions.
Some companies have already become more aware of their environmental impact, with IKEA investing in efficiency projects and Dead Sea factories working to switch to production with hydrogen.
When it comes to our children's health, will we wait for the state to act? I call on companies and organizations to follow in the footsteps of tech giants and commit to switching to renewable energy. The responsibility rests on each and every one of us.
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