FEHRL'S FIRM ISSUE 21
FEHRL MEMBERS’ CORNER
HOW NETIVEI ISRAEL TURNED ENVIRONMENT AL RESEARCH INTO A NATIONAL SMART LIGHTING
STRATEGY
Adi Gamliel
VP Innovation, Strategy and Sustainability, Netivei Israel
Board Member, FEHRL
Netivei Israel is driving innovative initiatives which combine national responsibility with technological leadership.
Light pollution, a growing global problem, silently disrupts ecosystems, harms wildlife, and threatens human health. Advancing its mitigation to a strategic priority, Netivei Israel tackles light pollution across 8,500 km of interurban roads through innovative technology, protecting wildlife habitats and human health while advancing Israel's environmental leadership.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Society for the Protection of Nature, and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Netivei Israel conducted an in-depth study mapping the ecological sensitivity of all interurban roads. A GIS layer was developed integrating biological, planning, and lighting data, classifying road segments into three levels of light sensitivity: open areas, high sensitivity, and extreme sensitivity. This advanced planning tool—first of its kind in Israel—enabled informed decision-making on lighting across all roads and intersections.
The ability of Netivei Israel’s Innovation and Strategy Division to convert scientific data into actionable infrastructure policy proved to be a core strength. The company launched a national technology challenge, inviting startups and manufacturers to propose solutions based on the research. Following pilots in sensitive locations, LED fixtures were selected featuring warm light (below 2700K), reduced upward and lateral light spill, brightness capped at 20% above standard, and rear light shields. Each lighting unit was registered in a nationwide GIS platform and aligned with environmental guidelines.
The result was a three-year project that replaced approximately 130,000 lighting units across Israel’s interurban network. Beyond ecological benefits, the program is projected to reduce electricity consumption by 54%, cut national emissions significantly, and lower maintenance and energy costs by over €40,000 per kilometer within a decade.
Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This initiative also advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
- SDG 9.4 – Promoting sustainable infrastructure and resource efficiency
• SDG 13 – Urgent climate action through emission reduction
• SDG 15 – Protection of terrestrial ecosystems and habitats
• SDG 12.6 – Adoption of sustainable practices by public companies
• SDG 14 – Minimizing light pollution in coastal and marine zones
Organizational Impact
The impact extended beyond technology—it reshaped companywide practices. Procurement documents were revised, technical manuals rewritten, oversight mechanisms established, and personnel across departments were trained to embed environmental considerations into core operations. This was not only a technological shift but a cultural one: the infrastructure body became a proactive partner in environmental and social change.
Smart Governance and Infrastructure Innovation
Netivei Israel’s experience demonstrates how the integration of science, industrial innovation, and infrastructure execution can create environmental, economic, and social value. It is a model of smart governance—not merely managing infrastructure but redesigning future reality. The company’s Innovation,
Netivei Israel is partner of BISON – BIODIVERSITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SYNERGIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORKS (EU Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 101006661).
Strategy and ESG Division leads a results-driven approach to operational innovation, transforming research into applied solutions that serve the public, protect the
