Climate change: towards a "global" agreement

The Paris World Conference on the climate emergency involving 196 countries is about to open. The reduction of greenhouse gases is a fundamental objective not only to preserve the balance of the ecosystem but also to contain the phenomena of immigration, related to the deterioration of environmental conditions in the various regions of the planet, which are expected to reach a huge scale

 

Just this week, while the EIMA Agrimach event takes place in New Delhi, Paris hosts the COP 21, the most important Conference of the Parties ever, where 196 countries with tens of thousands of delegates discuss the international agreements to remedy the climate changes in progress. A great focus full of expectations is centered around this event, which presents itself as the frame of reference for the next steps to be taken at the international level to contain the rise in average temperatures on the planet. The categorical imperative is to stay within the limit of 2°C for the temperature increase of the Earth, beyond which climate scientists indicate the point of no return for catastrophic environmental imbalances that would inevitably have global repercussions on the social level. An international agreement will be established and ratified in Paris. Starting from the urgent need to halt the rise of CO₂, it will establish extraordinary measures to help those already impacted by the effects of climate change and to identify valuable adaptation strategies to increase the resilience of the many areas involved. Do not forget the flow of “environmental refugees,” people who emigrate because of worsening conditions in their own territories, was about 22 million people last year, and the staggering forecasts for 2050 range between 250 million and one billion refugees (so much for protected borders!).  

The effectiveness of the results expected from the COP 21 will depend on the concrete commitments that all the governments will take, and we hope that Europe, based on its guidelines for environmental policy, will be able to take a leading role. Paris must be the place to finally field the political will and the industrial capacity to accelerate the global economic transition towards decarbonisation.

In this context, Italy will propose challenging actions, as anticipated by the Minister for the Environment Galletti at a recent meeting in preparation for the COP 21. The Italian delegation will lobby for the final text of the climate agreement to limit global warming to 1.5° C, believing this limit is the most appropriate to protect coastal areas and small islands, jeopardized by rising sea levels. To this end, our Minister’s hope is that no country be left behind on climate targets, and that we should aim for ambitious agreements to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 50% by 2050, until the target of zero emission is achieved by the end of this century. To ensure compliance with these targets it will be necessary to make binding agreements, also establishing regular reviews of the objectives (at least every 5 years), and by fining non-compliant countries.

Today, after 23 years of negotiations (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - UNFCCC was drafted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, thanks to the UN Conference on Environment and Development), the climate debate has become globalized, to the point that the COP 21 involves the countries responsible for 95% of greenhouse gas emissions. Having given a great boost to the green economy, Italy is one of the countries that fulfilled the agreements made at Kyoto. It therefore participates as a party in its own right, and can indicate the paths to be followed. Due to good practices developed in recent years, in reaction to the economic crisis, it will be possible to convince the most reluctant countries that the steps to be taken to protect the environment should not be viewed as a constraint, but rather as an excellent opportunity to re-launch the economy through innovation and the correct use of resources. It is no coincidence that in Italy there are more than 370,000 companies (about 25% of the total) in industry and services since 2008, which have invested in technological systems reducing environmental impact, saving energy and reducing CO₂ emissions. The green orientation is confirmed as a strategic factor for the Made in Italy, accounting for 100 billion in added value, 10% of the national economy, divided into the fields of construction (31%), agriculture (19%), industry (12%) and services (7%). It is estimated that today about 3 million jobs (13% of Italian workers) are recruited for specific skills related to environmental sustainability, and an increase of just under 300,000 hires is expected for this year.

Even before the Paris meeting, the majority of countries had already defined their commitments to contain greenhouse gases. For several years the United States and China, the countries with the highest rate of emissions, have pledged to reduce them significantly by focusing on the green economy and promoting the so-called “disruptive technologies” for energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable mobility.

India, Brazil, Indonesia and other emerging economies are also following this positive wake, showing themselves more willing to adopt measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by planning the growth of renewables. Furthermore, the already industrialized countries will commit to fund programmes to adapt to climate change in developing nations by activating a green fund of 100 billion dollars a year. As part of Renewables and Bioenergy, Italy is among the countries that are historically most involved, initiating specific lines of research and developing experimental projects of major importance.

Today we have much to show the world, both for the large number of systems installed and for the development of specific technological and organizational systems.

These models can be exported anywhere as the best practices, especially to the poorest countries where the use of bioenergy can make the difference between wealth and poverty, between the birth of a local economy and the need to migrate away from their land looking for acceptable living conditions.

Therefore, the spread of technologies in rural areas for the production of renewable energies, especially if related to agriculture, takes on particular importance. In fact, the availability of energy, especially electricity, is a key factor for improving the quality of life in the countryside, countering the trend towards urbanization. 

As is common knowledge, the main obstacle to the widespread use of electricity in rural areas is the lacking or poorly functioning transport networks.