Let’s relaunch climate policies: time is running out

The tragedy in Emilia-Romagna is just the latest sign of a crescendo of climatic disasters that are affecting all continents. The images we watch on TV distress and alarm. And it is incredible the space given in various media to the now residual climate deniers, who risk disorienting public opinion in a phase in which rapid and radical decisions are needed instead.

In addition to initiating serious prevention, care and maintenance of the territory to control hydrogeological instability, and perhaps an effective law on soil consumption, policies to reduce climate-changing emissions must be accelerated.

Europe is moving well, with the definition of objectives for 2030 and aiming for climate neutrality for 2050. However, Italy is extremely late, as highlighted by the recent Ispra report: Greenhouse gas emissions in Italy: objectives reduction and emission scenarios. Despite this, the current Government has taken losing and rearguard positions regarding the latest EU decisions on the expiration of the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035, on the energy redevelopment objectives of buildings, on the stop to the installation of new gas boilers from 2029.

Other governments, on the contrary, take on more challenging objectives, also to offer new opportunities to their industry. This is the case of Germany which, for example, wants to block the sales of gas boilers as early as next year. We are in the midst of a rapid revolution affecting power generation, mobility and construction. We think that our country should not miss the opportunity to modernize and redevelop important segments of businesses, capable of improving citizens’ quality of life and increasing employment.

*Gianni Silvestrini, Scientific Director of the Kyoto Club