AcknowledgEments

1 – Why Jewish Climate Philanthropy?

P8. “Hope is the Belief…” To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility.” Jonathan Sacks 2004‍

“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.” Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities, by Rebecca Solnit. 

‍P.13 “If CO2 emission rates continue at the current pace, the world is expected to be locked into 1.5°C of warming in just seven years, and to 2∘C warming within 25 years.” Global Carbon Budget 2023 report. published in the journal Earth System Science Data 

2 – Climate challenges for humanity

P. 14 “Yields of major crops are estimated to decline by 3.1 to 7.4% for every degree of global mean temperature increase.” a 2017 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by Zhao et al.

“75-90% of coral reefs…” IPCC 2022 SR15_Chapter_3_LR.pdf

The American Medical Association estimated that the fires contributed to at least 440 additional deaths,” JAMA Network Open (Journal of the American Medical Association) in August 2025. 

P.17 “Philanthropists have supported the transfer of 175 million hectares of tropical forests to indigenous peoples for protection and preservation.” Forest Climate Leaders.  Governments aim to collectively recognise 160 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples’ and local community lands in tropical forest countries; philanthropies and donor nations pledge $1.8 billion in support for conservation of their territories – The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP)‍

P. 19 Modern Early Warning Systems: Natural Hazards Research Volume 5, Issue 3, September 2025, Pages 523-538

Early warning systems in climate risk management: Roles and implementations in eradicating barriers and overcoming challenges – ScienceDirect

P.21 “The MENA region has 6%…” World Bank: Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa (2018)

‍Wastewater recycling at roughly 90%, the highest proportion of any country in the world
Wastewater treatment across the world: which countries recycle the most and where is the best water quality? | Hydrotech

‍3 – What are the tools?

P.24-25 stats on climate philanthropy are from: ClimateWorks Foundation’s 2024 Funding Trends Report. (Stats inside the climate lead case study are from an interview with Gideon Bressler from Climate Lead. ‍

P.28 “Shell ordered to cut emissions….” Shell: Netherlands court orders oil giant to cut emissions – BBC News ‍

P.28 Estimated $4-6 trillion to reach net zero. See e.g. Net Zero by 2050 – Analysis – IEA, and Financing the green energy transition (Deloitte)‍

Current annual spend on the energy transition is about 2.3 trillion – BloombergNEF Finds Global Energy Transition Investment Reached Record $2.3 Trillion in 2025, Up 8% from 2024 | BloombergNEF‍

Global data center spend $1 trillion by end of 2026 – 2026 Global Data Center Outlook‍

P.33 Israel $2 billion green bond issue: Israel raises $2 billion in its first-ever issuance of 10-year green bonds | The Times of Israel‍

‍4 – Action Pathways, Israel

P.36 rising heat will increase cooling demand https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/0691524e-7faa-4241-b002-055d4c0210ec/Sustainable,AffordableCoolingCanSaveTensofThousandsofLivesEachYear.pdf

‍Israel imports 80% of its grain: Food Security: A Challenge in Times of Routine and Emergency | INSS

‍P.38-39 MoEP (2025) BTR 2025 – First Biennial Transparency Report; MoEP (2024) National GHG Emissions Report 2023; MoEP (2024) Economic Benefits of Renewable Energy Facilities; OECD (2024) Economic Survey of Israel – Chapter on Climate Policy and Green Growth; Gov’t Decisions 171 (2021) & 465 (2022).‍

P.40Since the 1990s, the annual number of days above 35 °C has risen by roughly 30%, and the frequency of heatwaves has doubled. Source, Israel Meteorological Service 2025 ‍

“Each heatwave…” 45 excess deaths. Environmental Ministry Study reported in Climate change in Israel has led to excess mortality, research finds Y-net‍

“In 2025, the State Comptroller warned…” 2025-05-202-Floods-Taktzir-EN.pdf‍

“An INSS (2024) analysis projects 10–15% yield declines in key import regions” Food Security: A Challenge in Times of Routine and Emergency | INSS‍

P.41 “Israel’s climate risks:” source, Israel Meteorological Service 2025 ‍

P.42 Unmitigated climate damage could cost 1.5–3% of GDP by 2050 (15–30 billion NIS annually), while early resilience investments yield four- to five-fold returns. Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection, specifically within reports detailing the National Adaptation Plan for Climate Change.‍

P.42 “Israel is home to nearly 1000 climate tech startups.”  2024–2025 Climate Tech Status Report” published by the Israel Innovation Authority in collaboration with PLANETech‍

P.43 “Climate tech’s share of total investment…fell…” 2024–2025 Climate Tech Status Report” published by the Israel Innovation Authority in collaboration with PLANETech‍

5 – Action Pathways, North America

P.46 “Canada’s Net Zero Accountability Act.” Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act – Canada.ca ‍

Reductions in funding for agencies such as NOAA NOAA cuts hamstring predictions of global south extreme weather | Devex

‍P.47 “Withdrawal of the Investment Tax Credit…” Norton Rose Fulbright,  New Construction-Start Rules for Wind and Solar 

‍P.50 “We waste 30-40% of the food we produce…” World Resources Institute: How Much Food Does the World Really Waste? | World Resources Institute 

‍6 – Action Pathways, Global

‍P.56 “Some areas projected to heat by 5 degrees…” The Looming Climate and Water Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

‍“11 out of 17 of the most water stressed…” UNICEF . Water Scarcity and Climate Change Enabling Environment Analysis for WASH | UNICEF Middle East and North Africa

‍“Dust storms cost the region $13 billion annually.” World Bank: World Bank Document

‍P.57 “Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green…” www.sgi.gov.sa

“The Prosperity Projects – an Israel-Jordan-UAE energy-for-water agreement (Prosperity Green and Prosperity Blue) – would have exchanged Jordanian solar power for 200 million m³ of Israeli desalinated water annually…” Wilson Centre.The Rise, Fall, and Possible Rise Again of the Middle East’s Most Ambitious Environment Scheme | Wilson Center

‍“The Al-Bireh Pipeline Project, facilitated by Arava and Damour for Community Development, which mediated on Israeli-Palestinian agreement on a pipeline route, enabling a 30-km line delivering treated wastewater to reach farmers in the Jericho region.” Israel, Palestinian Authority partner to transport water to Palestinian farmers | The Jerusalem Post   

P.58 “Water recycling is another pillar: Israel treats and reuses nearly 90% of its wastewater, primarily for agriculture, the highest rate globally.” Wastewater treatment across the world: which countries recycle the most and where is the best water quality? | Hydrotech

‍Drip irrigation can reduce water use by 50%: Netafim. What is Drip Irrigation?

‍“Smart metering that can reduce….” Frontier Economics: smart-metering-report-frontier-artesia-january-2024.pdf

‍P.60 “Africa contributes only about 4% to global emissions…” African Development Bank – Focus on Africa

‍Traditional philanthropy is insufficient to close the $270 billion p.a. climate finance gap African Development Bank Group Time Is Running Out to Close Continent’s Massive Infrastructure and Climate-Finance Gap – 2025 Africa Investment Forum Panel Warns

‍P.62 “God planted…tree of life…” Genesis 2:9

‍Israel is one of the few countries to have more trees…” Frest Policy and Economics – The development of forest policy in Israel in the 20th century: implications for the future – ScienceDirect

‍P.63 Trillion trees Homepage – Trillion Trees, IT trees www.1t.org, Million trees NYC – MillionTreesNYC : NYC Parks