Maya Jacobs is Co-Founder and CEO of Climate Net– Networking to Net Zero, an NGO aiming to create a breakthrough in the quality and pace of environmental-climate change action, focusing on the business community and the development of science-based innovation, particularly in the field of carbon removal from the atmosphere.
The organization works to establish Israel as a global leader in scalable climate and environmental solutions by bridging knowledge, policy, and technology gaps. It creates transformative projects through partnerships with businesses, local authorities, government ministries, academia, and NGOs, motivating action among stakeholders who recognize the urgency of addressing climate, pollution, and biodiversity challenges. It aims to generate significant motivation for action among people and businesses who understand the urgency of addressing climate, pollution, and biodiversity crises.
Between 2012-2022, Maya served as CEO of the Zalul (“Clear” in Hebew), an NGO dedicated to marine, rivers and water conservation. During these years, the organization became central and dominant in public discourse and changed the approach of government, municipalities, and planning bodies toward marine environmental protection in Israel. Among many achievements, Maya led some of the largest campaigns, collaborations, and broad coalition building efforts. Notable accomplishments include the closure of the Ammonia Reservoir in Haifa, stopping the annual discharge of 5 million tons of sewage sludge into the sea from Shafdan, working to reduce plastic pollution in the sea through the passage of the Plastic Bag Law and the “Plastic-Free City” project in Herzliya, which pushed local governments nationwide to act on reducing single-use plastic. Maya initiated the campaign against the expansion of EAPC (Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company) operations and against unregulated gas and oil drilling at sea, for which she established an activist organization coalition.
Maya holds an MIA from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University, where she focused on conflict resolution and international media, an MA in Public Administration from Reichman University and a BA in Jewish history and journalism from Tel-Aviv University.
