Italy fragile in the face of climate change - Gentiloni - English - Agenzia ANSA

Italy fragile in the face of climate change - Gentiloni - English - ANSA.it

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 5 - Italy's fragility in the face of the climate crisis will be a problem and if action is not taken the country will pay a terrible price, European Commissioner for Economy and former Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Sunday during the In mezz'ora programme on Rai Tre.

Recent deadly flooding caused by very heavy rainfall in Tuscany is just the latest in a series of events triggered by extreme weather linked to climate change that have shown up Italy's exposure to hydrogeological risk including flooding, mudslides and landslides.

On the other end of the scale, in the last two years Italy has also experienced a series of extreme heatwaves and drought that have depleted water supplies and damaged soil and crops.

On Italy's EU-funded national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP), Gentiloni said the European Commission is "working a lot in these weeks with the Italian government and with other countries" so that modifications can be approved by the end of 2023.

"We are working hard, because it is also in the interest of the European Commission to have these revisions approved and make the plans work," he added.

Last month Italy received the third installment of funding worth 18.5 billon euro for implementation of the programme to make its economy greener and more modern by 2026 thanks to projects funded with the help of almost 200 billion euros in EU grants and low-interest loans.

It is hoping to receive the fourth installment, worth 16.5 billion euros, by the end of this year, following approval by the European Commission and the European Council of proposed changes to the plan concerning incentives for energy efficiency, an increase in childcare facilities, the development of the space and film industries, and sustainable transport.

Italy also added a milestone on increasing student accommodation that had initially been linked to the third installment.

On the Middle East crisis, Gentiloni said the European Union can do "much better" and that it has an important role to play.

"Gaza is in the Mediterranean and the EU is fundamental for almost all the countries in the region," he said.

The bloc needs to regain a role "in the small things right away: humanitarian pauses, the proposal for a humanitarian corridor" by sea "from Cyprus", which "is an excellent idea", added Gentiloni.

"Looking to the future: I think the EU has leverage" in the Middle East, "we had a start that did not give the best demonstration of European policy but we can do much better in the coming months," he stressed. (ANSA).

Italy fragile in the face of climate change - Gentiloni

Cost of inaction will be terrible says EU Economy Commissioner

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 5 - Italy's fragility in the face of the climate crisis will be a problem and if action is not taken the country will pay a terrible price, European Commissioner for Economy and former Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Sunday during the In mezz'ora programme on Rai Tre.