The Green Economy: Does it include you?

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issues a press release on World Environment Day,05/06/2012

The Green Economy: Does it include you?

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on the fifth of June.

The theme of WED is the green economy, focusing on the importance of the green economy globally and its vital role in achieving sustainable development and the conservation of natural recourses by relying on green technologies that reduce pollutants and maximize production.

Green Economy
A green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity; where the green economy focuses on renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal), green building (green products and materials and leadership in energy and environmental design construction), clean transportation (alternative fuels, public transport, hybrid and electric vehicles), water management (water reclamation, grey water and rainwater systems), waste management (recycling, municipal solid waste salvage), and land management (organic agriculture, reforestation and forestation and soil stabilization).
Palestine a Leader in Solar Energy
In July 2011, 66% of households in the Palestinian Territory had solar energy heaters compared to 66.7% in July 2010.

Percentage of households in the Palestinian Territory using solar energy
by region, July 2011

More than Half of Agricultural Holdings used Organic Fertilizers

The results of the Agricultural Census 2010 indicated that 64.9% of all plant and mixed holdings in the Palestinian Territory used organic fertilizers; 34.8% used chemical fertilizers; 49.7% used agricultural pesticides; 25.1% used improved agricultural assets, and 18.4% used integrated pest management.

One and half Million Trees Distributed During 2011/2012
The Ministry of Agriculture distributed 1.5 million trees during 2011/2012: 0.5 million wooded land trees, 0.5 million olive trees, and 0.5 million various other trees.
In 2011, 45.3% of economic establishments in the Palestinian Territory that produced chemical waste separated this chemical waste.

Ecological Footprint (EF) in Palestinian Territory the Lowest of Neighboring Countries
EF represents the demand for natural resources by humans while Biological Capacity (BC) represents the supply of these resources. The ideal situation requires that BC equals EF to maintain the ecological balance in nature, but when the EF exceeds the BC, there will be a deficiency in the natural resources in a given country.

In the Palestinian Territory and according to the Living Planet Report 2012 (LPR), based on 2008 data, the EF of the Palestinian Territory totaled 0.46 hectares per capita,[2] i.e., any individual living in the Palestinian Territory consumes the production of 0.46 hectares. The BC of the Palestinian Territory is 0.13 hectares per capita, so a deficit of 0.33 hectares exists.

BC and EF for Selected Countries, 2012 (hectares per capita)

Country EF BC Deficit
Palestinian Territory 0.46 0.13 0.33
Jordan 2.13 0.24 1.89
Egypt 2.06 0.65 1.41
Israel 3.96 0.29 3.40
Source: WWF, 2012. Living Planet Report 2012

Palestinian Emissions Increasing
Carbon dioxide emissions for 2010 in the Palestinian Territories totaled about 1.03 tons per capita, distributed in different proportions by sector.

Comparing these data with published data from the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), the results were as follows:

Country (time reference)
Emissions of carbon dioxide per capita (tonnes / capita / year)
(2008)Palestine 0.52
(2008)Jordan 3.86
(2008)Syria 3.48
( 2007) Israel 9.63

Global reports such as the Titi Tudorancea Bulletin (a specialized bulletin on energy topics), indicated that emissions of carbon dioxide per capita from energy in the Palestinian Territory had increased by 60% during 2008 compared with 2001. Reports attributed this change to the increase in the consumption of petroleum derivatives.

Per Capita Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Consumption of Energy by Year

The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin
[1] global hectares = 10 dunums

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