Environment Min. Silman defends plasticware tax implemented by previous gov’t
Silman will work with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in order to find an “appropriate substitute” for the now-canceled plastic tax.
By ELIAV BREUER JANUARY 29, 2023
In a rare show of support for a decision made by the previous government, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman (Likud) opposed the government’s decision on Sunday to cancel the tax on plasticware that the previous government instituted, on the grounds that the tax led to a sharp drop in consumption and was therefore good for the environment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Silman’s request at the cabinet meeting to work with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in order to find an “appropriate substitute” within six months that will decrease plasticware consumption without levying a tax.
Smotrich announced on Sunday that the government has approved his campaign promise to cancel the tax, which is expected to bring down the price of plasticware after it rose when the tax was first instituted in November 2021. The move then was viewed by some in the haredi sector as being a “decree” against them specifically, since they are Israel’s highest consumers of plasticware.
“A proper alternative to the cancellation of the tax must be found in order to find an adequate solution for all the populations in Israel.”Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman
“We promised and fulfilled the promise. I call on all the citizens of Israel to check with retailers and grocery stores that the price decreases. The fight against the high cost of living is a collective struggle,” Smotrich said.
Silman countered in the cabinet meeting that she was “aware of the coalition agreements and the commitment of the ministers to adhere to them”, but that “in recent weeks I looked deeply into the matter and was exposed to the enormous damage of plasticware to all of the environmental and medical aspects.”
A WOMAN shops for disposable plastic tableware at an Osher Ad Supermarket branch in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Silman pointed out that the tax had worked, writing in a statement that sales decreased by 39% between when the tax came into effect in November 2021 and the end of 2022.
Silman wrote that “a proper alternative to the cancellation of the tax must be found in order to find an adequate solution for all the populations in Israel (such as subsidizing dishwashers in an extensive way as the ministry did in kindergartens for NIS 45 million and other ways that have been suggested). The taxation was successful and led to a significant reduction in the consumption of disposable utensils in the State of Israel.”
“The use of economic tools in general and taxation tools, in particular, express the principle that the ‘polluter pays’, and encourage the reduction of environmental damage,” Silman added.
Silman leans over party lines
Silman’s comments were a rare admission to the effectiveness of a move made by the previous government. Many other ministries already cancelled or are in the process of cancelling reforms by the previous government, such as a similar tax on soft drinks; the Kashrut reform and the “kosher cell phones” reform, both of which were intended to increase competition in the respective religious services; a reform in the study of humanities in high schools, and more.
The government has continued a number of moves that the previous government implemented but without admitting to doing so publicly. These include Operation Safe Track to fight crime in the Arab sector, Operation Break the Wave to fight terror in the West Bank and more.
United Torah Judaism MK and Knesset Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni blessed the cancellation of the tax, which he called the “Liberman tax” and claimed that it “was intended first and foremost to harm the haredi sector.”
“This was one of our promises upon forming the government, and indeed last week we passed in the finance Committee the budgetary source to cancel the tax. The tax was cancelled and I am happy about this,” Gafni said.
Former environmental protection minister Tamar Zandberg said in response, “The new government enabled petty politics to destroy the environment and health. Instead of moving forward, this decision takes us light-years backwards. Other than a finger in the eye, the cancellation of the tax will only contribute to pollution and disease.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-729974
MK Idit Silman releases updated climate law draft
The version of the bill submitted on Thursday includes amendments required by Silman’s fellow coalition members.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Environmental Protection Minister MK Idit Silman (Likud) released a draft of the Climate Law for her colleagues to review on Thursday, according to the Environmental Protection Ministry spokesperson.
The version of the bill submitted on Thursday includes amendments required by Silman’s fellow coalition members.
The bill, according to Silman’s ministry, is going to follow through on the coalition’s commitments to reduce Israel’s annual amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the plan dictates that the amount of greenhouse emissions released in 2030 will be, at most, 50% of what it was in 2015.
This contrasts with a previous version of the same bill, which held itself to the standards set by Government Resolution 171, which states that the annual amount of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 will decrease by at least 27% compared to 2015.
“We are moving forward with our commitment to pass a climate law whose purpose is to outline Israel’s path to dealing with the climate crisis and the integration of Israel’s economy into a zero-emissions global world,” said Silman in a statement. “The law imposes goals, mechanisms and duties on the government for the transition to a zero-emissions economy and the preparation of the economy for the effects of climate change on infrastructure, buildings, agriculture, environment and public health.”
MK Idit Silman in the opening of the Knesset summer session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on May 9, 2022. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
What is in the climate bill?
The bill also ensures Israel is prepared for climate change and climate crises, and establishes a ministerial committee for climate affairs and climate cabinet both headed by the prime minister. It establishes a climate risk assessment procedure for public works and establishes channels for reporting relevant information to the government.
Finally, the bill establishes an independent academic interdisciplinary committee of experts in the fields of health, economics and energy among others, to contribute to the Knesset’s ability to make informed decisions about climate change going forward.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-730368
‘We will restore sovereignty to Environmental Protection Ministry’ – Silman
By YEHUDA SHARONI/MAARIV FEBRUARY 4, 2023
“Sovereignty and governance are here in the Environmental Protection Ministry,” Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman said earlier this month. During her speech, she outlined her environmental views.
Silman said that illegal waste, which causes many environmental problems, is one example of environmental crime. Unfortunately, illegal waste is common in many sectors; for example, Silman intends to lobby for a construction waste law.
Silman stated that environmental crime is also widespread in areas such as illegal landfills, cars that are stolen for parts and dumped, illegal quarries, burning of agricultural waste and dumping of construction waste. She intends to maintain a chain of enforcement in her office.
Silman, whose circumstances surrounding her appointment as a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government are controversial in light of her resignation from the previous government, this week appointed Guy Samet as the ministry’s director-general.
Minister Silman: Environment ministry formulated waste policy
Silman also said that the ministry has formulated a waste policy many times with the aim of significantly reducing illegal landfills and illegal dumping of any waste which is environmentally harmful.
Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman is seen at the handover ceremony replacing outgoing minister Tamar Zandberg, in Jerusalem, on January 2, 2023. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
She noted that what’s clear to everyone is that what is missing is action on the ground and implementation of the correct and relevant actions, like strategies that have already been formulated through the Green Police and the ability to submit claims. One clear proof of this is the lack of facilities to manage waste.
Silman said that in this term, it’s time to act and implement. She intends to promote tenders in the field together with the accountant-general of the Treasury and the budget division.
The minister also intends to significantly deepen cooperation between local government and local authorities. On the climate crisis, she added that this is part of our daily reality and it’s closely related to the local authorities. In recent years, she explained, we’ve witnessed more and more extreme heat waves, wildfires and droughts, and these trends are expected to worsen. Silman intends to push forward and get the climate law approved by the Knesset.
People today realize that Israel’s environmental challenges are part of a global crisis. Climate change isn’t an abstract and distant concern, but an existing and threatening reality.
In the field of environmental education, the minister pledged to persevere, reinforce, and maintain cooperation with environmental organizations to strengthen an appreciation for Israel’s heritage and love of the land. Members of generation Z are involved in climate justice and environmental quality. The ministry’s role is to support and be an anchor for them. Silman is counting on Israeli youth, she concluded.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-730579