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Environment and Community
We believe that improving the environment and quality of life are primary social values that serve as the basis for further promotion of public transport. Egged is proud to be among the first companies in Israel to publish a comprehensive ecological report on protecting the environment and contributing to the community. Egged aspires to be a pioneer in the reduction of air pollution by purchasing buses equipped with Euro 3 engines, using ultra-low sulfur fuel, and utilizing methods for recycling water, oils, garage waste and so on.

In addition, Egged has participated in activities such as cleaning up beaches, the preservation of woods and natural forests, assisting in the transportation of the disabled in specialized vehicles, organizing study days on issues of ecology public transport issues and more. Egged has also initiated studies on ecological subjects in cooperation with the Council for a Beautiful Israel, the Nature and National Parks Authority, green organizations and the Israel Ministry of Environmental protection.

Our activities in the field of enviromental protection 

 Environment and Community Report - Egged 2004
 
Egged's 2004 Environment and Community Report is the second report Egged has prepared for public review, written in accordance with international principles for environmental reporting.
This report summarizes Egged's social and environmental performance for the years 2003-2004 and represents its commitment to the community and to the environment.
Egged has achieved many of the goals and targets that it set up to itself in the first environmental report (2002) including: improving accessibility, reducing air pollutants, improving passenger information.
Egged has also set new goals, that attest to the ongoing improvements in environment and community, in order to create a continuing dialog with civil organizations, law makers and to strengthen ties with the community

 
Activity Days on Ecological Issues 
 
The Council for a Beautiful Israel in cooperation with Egged organizes meetings at schools including different activities on environmental topics. These activities increase the students' awareness of the ecological problems. The activities are organized by the Council's guiding team for groups in schools with supplementary learning materials.
Target audience: elementary and junior high school students.

 “Egged Beged” Bus
 
Many old clothes are thrown away and never get to those who really need them. Egged, the “Le-Sovea” Association and the U.S. “Esther Ha-Malka” project volunteered to provide the answer to this increasing need following the deepening economic recession in Israel, and operated the project “Egged Beged” for the collection and distribution of second hand clothes for people in need. The aim of the project is to promote values such as helping others and tolerance, as well as understanding the needs of the weaker sectors of society.

 Egged and Organizations for the Disabled Build an Accessible Future
 
The mutual relationship between Egged and the community is expressed in its attention to the needs of the community, its involvement in the planning of routes, in the reduction of pollution caused by buses and in the planning of urban service routes in a way that conveniently serves the disabled. Understanding the importance of the law for equal rights of the disabled (legislated by the Knesset in 1998) serves as the grounds for creating convenient access to urban buses for the elderly, children and mothers with buggies. Today over one third of Egged's city buses are handicap-accessible, and all future purchase of city buses will be of handicapped-accessible.

 Reduction of Discharge of Pollutants
 
It is very hot outside. Summers over the last ten years have broken records in Israel and abroad. Heat waves in Europe have caused real disasters. Last summer in France more than 10,000 people died in a heat wave, and the world is becoming more aware of the effect of warming on the Earth. A major factor causing this is the discharge of hot gases released as the result of using fuels, coal and gas. The Kyoto Convention dealing with the problem of hot gases was recently ratified in Israel, and despite a number of diplomatic difficulties, the writing is clearly on the wall: it is imperative that the discharge of pollutants and hot gases resulting from Man's activities is significantly reduced.

 Egged and Green Organizations 
 
Egged has had a long relationship with the environmental organizations. In the past there was a relationship of tension and argument over Egged's commitment to reduce the discharge of pollutants into the air. Over the last three years, due to Egged's intensive environmental activities and the constant improvement of bus engines and the fuels consumed by them, the level of pollutants discharge has been reduced by 50%, and the relations between Egged and the green organizations have become much more positive.

Egged's Ecological Report for 2002
 
This is the first report published in Israel by a commercial company in compliance with the international standards for ecological reports. Egged's ecological report includes information about the company's activities for the previous year related to the environment, such as operation of a new central bus station in Jerusalem equipped with one of the world's most advanced air monitoring and purification systems in the passenger halls and at the platforms; the purchase of urban low floor buses with new engines meeting the advanced Euro 3 standard; the installation of valves for the hands-free recycling of engine oil for all vehicle fleets and a "clean" treatment of oil waste and other dangerous pollutants. 

 Egged and "Clean Up the World" in the International Ecological Campaign
 
On March 29, 2004, a large cleaning campaign called "Clean Up Israel" was instigated with the participation of more than 2,000 young people from all over Israel. This event was part of a worldwide "Clean Up the World" activity supported by the UN and aimed at cleaning up the environment. This is already the third year that "Clean Up the World" has initiated and organized activities for a cleaner environment in Israel. Egged has accompanied these activities in Israel since their instigation. 

 Egged Participates in a Special Activity to Protect the Jerusalem Forest
 
On January 10, 2003 all Israel's environmental organizations united for the first time in order to protect Jerusalem Forest and to save the open areas in Israel, and in a huge event out in the open, took part in demonstrations of support. Towards Tu B'i Shvat they celebrated Israel's festival of nature with the slogan: "Protect the Jerusalem Forest and the open areas".