For the first time in Israel: A new municipal by-law in Jerusalem will prohibit the operation of polluting mechanical engineering equipment and require them to be equipped with particle filters at sites where actions are carried out using such tools, unless particle filters are installed. The assistance law will come into effect next Friday, September 1st, in accordance with the guidance of the municipality's legal advisor.
The new program, led by Deputy Mayor and holder of the Environmental Quality portfolio, Aryeh King, and focusing on reducing air pollution from transportation in Jerusalem from 2021 to 2026, is a central component of the city's climate plan to mitigate pollution. The program involves the development of environmental infrastructure, including a mass transit system (light rail), the construction of public transportation lanes, the establishment of "Park and Ride" parking facilities, the creation of a 200 km network of bike paths, alongside the implementation of an urban bike-sharing system ("Yerufun"), and the deployment of dozens of electric vehicle charging stations.
This program is accompanied by additional urban initiatives that contribute to reducing air pollution, led by the Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the MeUhadim ('United') Faction, Aryeh King, who holds the Environmental Quality portfolio. Among these initiatives is a wide-ranging pilot project that aims to reduce the use of disposable utensils among municipality employees, resulting in a significant decrease of tens of percentage points in single-use utensil consumption among the municipality's 11,000 employees.
"Proud to stand at the head of the environmental quality arrow"
Holding the portfolio of Environmental Quality, Deputy Mayor Aryeh King is leading the urban program to address the climate crisis, which will be presented next week at the international conference in Berlin as the flagship initiative of local authorities in Israel. "The new law is joining a comprehensive urban system to improve air quality in the city," emphasizes King. "We are proud to be at the forefront of environmental quality efforts and to lead actions to reduce air pollution, following the example of developed cities worldwide."
"Following the publication of the municipal by-law, a registered letter was sent to all owners of polluting mechanical engineering equipment in Israel, informing them of the by-law and also explaining to them the possibilities of receiving a substantial subsidy for a limited time from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Jerusalem Municipality to install a particle filter to reduce air pollution in selected garages."
Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman: "The Jerusalem Municipality - with the assistance and funding of the Ministry of Environmental Protection - is expanding the municipal by-law that limits the entry of polluting vehicles, so that only non-polluting mechanical-engineering vehicles and non-polluting vehicles will operate in the city. This is another important step in order to ensure good air quality for residents. This action is part of the work of the Ministry of Environmental Protection to significantly reduce air pollution from transportation in cities, and I call on other cities and authorities to join the change - as Jerusalem is doing as part of our joint work."
The new municipal by-law is part of a multi-year plan to reduce air pollution from transportation in Jerusalem, which is carried out with the cooperation and funding of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The plan was approved by the city council and is part of an extensive move, within the framework of which the entry of polluting diesel vehicles into the Jerusalem area, which was defined as a low emission zone (LEZ) was banned.