Italy approved the Climate Decree. “It is an important result for the country. One of the first decrees of this government is on environmental protection and on combating climate change.” Environment Minister Sergio Costa communicated the news and explained in detail all the points of the decree.
“It is the first legislative act of the new government – the minister affirms – which inaugurates the Green New Deal: the first pillar of a building whose foundations are the budget law and the environmental Collegiate, together with the Salvamare law, under discussion in the Chamber, and to ‘Cantiere ambiente’, under examination by the Senate. All this shows that the Government is implementing a solid environmental framework, which looks to Europe and to improve the quality of our daily life, with measures such as strengthening the gradual reduction of offenses for illegal landfills and water purification, the mobility bonus, urban reforestation”.
Among the main innovations introduced by the climate decree, good mobility for cities and areas subject to European infringement for air quality for which 255 million euros are allocated (up to 1500 euros for the scrapping of the car up to class euro 3 and up to 500 euro for two-stroke motorcycles). A fund of 40 million euros is established for the Municipalities for the realization or modernization of the preferential lanes and a fund of 20 million euros to realize or implement the school transport for the pupils of the elementary and middle schools with hybrid, electric vehicles or not less than € 6.
“I want to clarify – adds Costa – that the reduction of environmentally harmful subsidies, initially provided for in the climate decree, is contemplated in the budget law. Our idea is to make a constant cut over the years, from now until 2040, but without penalizing anyone. With the necessary filings and consultations we will try to shed light on the best possible measure, with the main objective of protecting the environment, while safeguarding our production system”.
Many are the innovations introduced by the decree also in the field of urban green and reforestation: 30 million euros will be allocated to planting and replanting trees and creating urban and periurban forests in metropolitan cities. Furthermore, areas of rivers and lakes subject to hydrogeological instability will also be subject to reforestation, with the dual purpose of reinforcing the banks and repopulating the greenery in those areas.
And again: the powers and resources of the commissioners who deal with the reclamation of illegal landfills and water purification will be increased, to solve the historical problem of environmental infringements; twenty million will go to merchants (up to 5 thousand euros for each) for the creation of a “green corner” for the sale of loose products.
“Five thousand euros may seem few – adds the Minister – but they are an important figure for all those merchants who are not big retailers. In this way we offer them a little help to stay alive and we give all those who do the shopping in the small shop under the house the possibility of finding green corners in which to buy sustainable products without packaging “.
Finally, ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Research which the Ministry of the Environment uses, will create a public database, thanks to a budget of one and a half million euros, for the transparency of environmental data. Public service concessionaires will have to make the results of the surveys available online.
