Green Knesset project is set to make Israeli parliament the greenest in the world

Israel’s Government has launched a project called Green Knesset, which includes a series of renovations to the country’s parliament.

The long-term project aims to transform the Israeli parliament building, the Knesset, into an eco-friendly hub, making it cost-effective and efficient.

Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein said the project requires a significant financial investment but the anticipated savings will produce a strong return.

Edelstein noted that the Green Knesset project requires declaration of an irreversible parliament policy.

The project will include educating government employees on environmental matters and encouraging them to be more eco-friendly.

Phase one of the project will be implemented this year and will be characterised by 13 ventures focused on energy and water. It will include:

• Construction of a 4,500m² solar field to produce clean, renewable electricity
• An energy centre to replace air-conditioning systems. The water churned out by the system will be used for irrigation and other purposes.
• A mechanism will be implemented to automatically shutdown all computers in the facility at the end of the work day

The government said that the energy-saving measures will reduce the carbon emissions and the ecological footprint of the Knesset.

Israel minister of national infrastructure, energy, and water Silvan Shalom said the Green Knesset project will be a source of pride for the country and will inspire other countries.

"This is a blessed move of great importance. Encouraging energetic efficiency, the saving of electricity and advancing the use of natural gas and renewable energy will reduce pollution, preserve the environment and save a lot of money," Shalom said.