The Chamber launched the Climate and Environment Forum that will focus on addressing challenges facing the private sector when coming to comply with 2050 climate targets. The Forum serves as a platform for cooperation between Chamber members and with the relevant government entites including Ministries of Environment, Energy, Economy and Transportation. 

The Forum Leadership includes Amcham Board members Yochai Gafni, GM Dow Israel, Galit Meyran, Chief Of Staff, Teva Global Operations, and Alon Barnea, VP Afeka College, and Chamber member representatives, Prof. Eyal Shimoni, CTO, Strauss Group, Dr. Ruth Dagan, Adv., Herzog, Irena Ben-Yakar, Partner ESG, Delloitte, and Avi Blau, Head of Circular Engineering at Afeka College. 

Sustainability Forum Tracks and Activities

1. Circular and climate engineering course for the high-tech sector.
The course, which was first held with great success in 2021 in the field of circular engineering, will focus this year on the high-tech industry and will be expanded to climate and environment issues. The course is conducted by Afeka College and with support of a grant from the Innovation Authority. It is intended to increase the number and improve knowledge of employees in the fields of climate and the environment in the knowledge-intensive industry. The course is open to Chamber companies from the high-tech sector with priority, and will also be open to non-Chamber members high-tech companies (for a fee).

2. Plastic Recycling Work Group
The group that included stakeholders from various industries, authorities and the Recycling Corporation (Tmir) that operated in 2021 has developed a pilot proposal to close a recycling cycle for flexible packaging, a challenging area in the recycling industry. As part of a broader framework of activities led by the "Life and Environment Association" and funded by the United Nations (an answer will be received soon). The workgroup will also examine options and activities in other areas (* which are not currently budgeted).

3. Circular Innovation Platform
The platform (www.circularsolutions.co.il) developed and managed by the Chamber's Circular Economy Forum enabled 20 companies to post circular economy challenges, establish and manage an international community for circular innovation. About 25 challenges were presented on the platform and hundreds of entrepreneurs, companies and groups offered various solutions to these challenges. In October 2021, we held a competition between the solutions presented to the various challenges, and the three best solutions were announced.

In 2022, the platform's activities are being expanded in cooperation with and funded by the United Nations Environmental Protection (UNEP) Agency. This year, the platform's access to the international community will be expanded, among other things, by adding a community manager and new challenges will be added to the platform. The platform is also open to non-Chamber members (for a fee).

4. Roundtable on ESG reporting
A workgroup, which will include the leading Israeli banks and institutional investors, international investors and banks, regulators, and leading Israeli and international companies. The group will discuss and formulate reporting rules in the field of ESG (environment, society and governance) that are acceptable, uniform and applicable . This round table is open to Chamber members only.

5. Scope-3 workgroup
A workgroup that will include leading Israeli and international companies, together with small and medium-sized companies linked together in supply chains. The group will engage in the development and application of knowledge for the management of supply chains so that they will meet the increasing requirements for compliance with the standards of international corporations and the regulation of the climate and the environment.

6. Workgroup on transportation
The group will deal with various issues related to reducing carbon emissions in the field of transportation, which is one of the most polluting in Israel. Among the topics that have come up in preliminary discussions: the transition of companies to electric vehicle fleets (private and commercial), smart public transportation solutions, connecting cities with infrastructure and solutions for bicycle transportation and more. The group will work on formulating solutions for appropriate infrastructure and regulation. This workgroup is open to Chamber members only.

7. Workgroup on climate regulation
The group will identify the barriers and develop potential solutions to various regulatory challenges that concern the companies and the government, such as the purchase of green electricity, the construction renewable energy facilities and more. This workgroup is open to Chamber members only.

8. Israel-America Business Conference on Climate and ESG
The Chamber's annual conference is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022 and will focus this year on climate and the environment. It will present, among others, the various activities of the Sustainability Forum and will include lectures, meetings and discussions between stakeholders from the governments and industries in the US and Israel on sustainability, climate, society and the environment.

9. Midburn Camp - Guardians of the Galaxy 
The Chamber's Sustainability Forum takes an active role in the Midburn Festival and activities throughout the year, that promotes values of recycling, environmental awareness and protection, sharing and sustainabilityand respect for humans and the environment, all in a fun festive environment. Midburn is the Israeli version of the Black-rock, Nevada, Burning-Man. As part of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Camp, we build exhibits for Midburn under the theme of sustainability, recycling, and circular economy. A large portion of the exhibits come this year from the recycling of a Boeing 777 we received from the Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI). IAI is a member of the  Sustainability Forum. Recycling the aircraft was the challenge they posted on the forum's Innovation Platform (see above).