The June 21^st session, held via Zoom, brought together diverse regional stakeholders – among them top academics, government representatives and policymakers, and private sector and innovation leaders – to collaborate on solutions for protecting local and global coral ecosystems.

The corals of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, and Arab Gulf are fairly resilient to increased water temperature and acidity, and participants will be tasked with developing tools for identifying, isolating, and exporting this resilience to other parts of the world.

Monday’s roundtable on Climate Change in the Red Sea Ecosystem was the first of four such sessions focusing on other shared regional challenges

Under the auspices of the European Union, the “Regional Climate Innovation Roundtable” series is intended to facilitate regional cooperation on shared environmental challenges, establish a multi-disciplinary network for knowledge-sharing and policy recommendations, and generate regional ideation setting the foundations for broader actions in line with the EU Green Deal’s objectives.

Quote from Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador of the European Union to the State of Israel:

“Over the past year, the EU has been leading the global fight against climate change. We have adopted a number of initiatives that have a direct link to these fields, such as the European Green Deal, which set us the objectives to achieve climate neutrality, or in other words, no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and, as intermediate goal, to reduce GHG emissions by 55% by 2030. Through these kind of initiatives, we want to strengthen the international dimension of the EU Green Deal addressing together with our international partners the climate change challenge in the MENA region.”

 “The objective of these workshops is to contribute to the policy dialogue in the MENA region across common climate related challenges. I believe that the EU, together with the regional partners, can play a strong geopolitical role in steering discussions and advance on peaceful and prosperous relationships through research and innovation cooperation.”

Quote from Efart Duvdevani Director General, Peres Center for Peace and Innovation:

“Environmental issues know no borders, and do not discriminate on the basis of nationality, religion, age, or gender. The Peres Center is proud to lead this important roundtable series, building regional partnerships and harnessing the creative spirit of innovation in the pursuit of a healthier world and better future for all.”

Quote from Eran Doron, Mayor of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council and Chairman of Frontier: "I wish to congratulate the collaboration between Frontier, Ramat HaNegev Desert Agro-Research Center, and the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation. This collaboration is solid proof that we can find solutions and develop practical tools for our common challenges and strengthen agriculture in arid areas through common regional discourse.  We will harness our vast knowledge and experience for the benefit of growth, prosperity, livelihood, and peace for Israel and its neighbors."

About the European Union’s climate policies:

The EU is fighting climate change through ambitious policies at home and close cooperation with international partners. Alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% to their 1990 level by 2030 and to zero net emissions by 2050, the EU is also taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change. By 2050, Europe aims to be a climate-resilient society. Climate action is at the heart of the European Green Deal – an ambitious package of measures ranging from ambitiously cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.

About the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation:

The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation was founded in 1996 by the Ninth President of Israel, two-time Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shimon Peres, and is dedicated to advancing his vision of a prosperous Israel within a peaceful Middle East. The Peres Center is a leading non-profit NGO that, together with local, regional and international partners, develops and implements cutting-edge and impact-oriented programs serving hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries of all ages, religions, genders and cultural backgrounds. Programs in the fields of medicine and healthcare, agriculture and the environment, education and youth leadership, business, innovation and entrepreneurship are designed to advance lasting partnerships between regional and international civil society and institutional stakeholders, fostering cooperation and joint prosperity in the spirit of Shimon Peres’ vision for peace.

About Frontier RNG:

Arising from the Israeli desert, FRONTIER, the leading desert agro-tech innovation center, is committed to making a meaningful and substantial regional impact. FRONTIER-rng was formed as a partnership between Ramat-Hanegev desert agriculture R&D center and Arieli Capital, a premier holding and investment company with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.