(see related)
Italy's Green Party and environmental
association Legambiente on Wednesday welcomed the agreement that
States made at the COP28 UN climate conference to transition
away from the use of fossil fuels while stressing the
commitments still fall short of what is necessary to end the
environmental emergency.
"The Global Stocktake document approved at COP28 is different
from the one (initially) proposed by the president, oilman
Sultan Al Jaber, and for the first time it sets out the path out
of fossil fuels," said Green Europe co-spokesperson Angelo
Bonelli, an MP for the Green-Left Alliance (AVS).
Bonelli, however, was also critical of the government,
especially Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto
Pichetto Fratin for having left the conference before the deal
was sealed.
"Italy, embarrassingly, missed a golden opportunity, because it
was not present at the (final) vote," he said.
"Minister Pichetto Fratin left two days ago, unlike Spanish
Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribeira, who fought until
the end so that the initial text, wanted by the oil sultan, was
changed for the better and she won.
"Pichetto Fratin and Giorgia Meloni, on the other hand, isolated
Italy at COP28, with their positions that were too understanding
of the oil lobby, so the Saudis and the Russians".
Legambiente President Stefano Ciafani said the commitment to a
gradual transition away from gas, coal and oil was "a timid
step forward.
"Now, however, the countries must deliver decisive action,
without any more hesitation or inexplicable delays, because time
is running out and the climate crisis is advancing faster and
faster," he said.
Chiara Braga, the Lower House whip for the opposition,
centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said it was a "historic
moment" but she also criticized Pichetto Fratin for failing to
stay till the end.
Italian Left leader and AVS MP Nicola Fratoianni told La7
television that the agreement was "a step forward" but not
"historic" given the "gigantic" scale of the issue.
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