On December 1 the ninth session of the Interministerial Steering Committee on the Geopolitics of Energy and the Climate was held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Manlio Di Stefano, chaired the session.
For the first time, the meeting was open to civil society and think tanks; normally, the Steering Committee would be held behind closed doors, accessible only to public sector companies.
Italy’s main challenges and opportunities in the aftermath of the Italian-led G20 and COP26 – the UN Conference on climate change – in Glasgow were framed, and energy issues in the Mediterranean area were discussed. If these challenges were to be overcome, Italy would benefit greatly.
In addition to the energetic issues that affect italy, particular attention was also devoted to the latest developments in the “Fit for 55″ regulatory package presented by the EU Commission last July: an extremely detailed plan, comprised of 13 legislative proposals, whose aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% before 2030.
Some of the proposals relate to the revision of the ETS, the new EU forestry strategy and the revision of the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Directive were also discussed.
Another particularly salient issue was the dynamics of energy price growth in Europe and strategies to contain increases in the medium to long term.
Deputy Minister Di Stefano stated: “To be implemented sustainably and credibly, the transition from the most polluting sources to renewable energies requires adequate transitional measures and impressive climate finance instruments, in particular, to support the most vulnerable countries. Italy has accomplished a great deal, pledging USD 1.4 billion annually for the next five years, contributing to the UN Green Climate Fund.”
“These are exceptionally complex challenges, which affect the lives of all citizens. For this reason, for the first time, we wanted to open the Steering Committee to the voice of the civil society, which made a significant contribution” concluded the Deputy Minister.
