Israel-America Chamber of Commerce held the first meeting of the Bi-national Forum on Cleantech and Renewable Energy, at the offices of  Ernst & Young. Participants included representatives of companies, organizations and associations.

Mr. Yoram Tietz of Ernst & Young congratulated the participants and noted that the company will assist in leading the Forum.

Ms. Tamar Guy, Executive Director of the Chamber, noted that the Forum is a direct result of discussions held at the Washington Conference, honoring 60 years of commerce between Israel and the U.S., on Dec. 2, 2008. A similar, larger conference will take place in New York during the first week of December 2009.

Mr. Booky Oren, Chairman, Miya, Arison Group noted Israel must become the global "market square" of this field. Technology-seeking companies should search for relevant technological solutions – in Israel.

Mr. Moshe Gaon, Chairman of B. Gaon  Holdings, noted that the Obama Administration considers cleantech a high priority; Israeli companies – together with the governmental sector – must prepare accordingly to promote this issue.

Mr. Joshua Kiernan, Partner at White & Case Law Firm, described regulation developments by the Obama Administration.

Participants brainstormed ideas for a position paper. The topics that were raised:

• Assembling ongoing information by all the relevant organizations in the U.S.
• Cooperation with U.S. Government officials in regards to standardization
• Cooperation with U.S. academia
• Pinpointing opportunities for business cooperation, with assistance from, among others, the BIRD Foundation
• Mapping the advantages of Israeli technologies
• Promoting local regulations that would allow for easier access to U.S. companies.
• Using available cooperation programs (such as agreements with Michigan and California).
• Advancing desalination regulation in Israel
• Promoting legislation in Congress to provide $100 million for cooperate with the U.S., through the BIRD Foundation
• Promoting cooperation of Israeli industries with U.S. academia
• Examining how to fund pilot programs in Israel (Oded Distel, Director of Water & Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor noted that promoting Israeli pilot programs abroad is an issue that us being considered)
• Duplicating the success of branding water technologies – for energy technologies as well.
• Transforming the forum into a platform to introduce Israeli companies to each other.
• Act separately in regards to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
• Attempt to raise the limit of $1 million in grants BIRD provides Israeli companies.
• Establishing a forum to promote incentives and regulations for green construction
• Promote the idea of establishing an Israeli Water Council – a public body promoting legislation, education and promotion of technology.
• Promoting energy-efficient technologies.
• Adopt an initiative by the government of Singapore to create a water research institute.
• Coaching small companies in knowing the U.S. market
• Establishing contacts with the U.S. research institutes, such as Sandia.
• Lobbying Israeli government and municipal councils.
• Establishing cooperation between the Israel Standardization Institute and the EPA.
• Promoting cryogenic distillation

Booky Oren suggested:

• Creating separate forums on desalination, enrichment of treated wastewater and regulation
• All participants should submit names of U.S. companies and institutions, with whom they are working, to start creating a database.
• The position paper should define targeted goals and measurable results.

Moshe Gaon suggested:

• Establishing a goals document to be promoted by the Forum
• Determining further steps toward WATEC 2009

The Forum Board of Directors is as follows: