The prime minister’s ecological alarm in Athens: “The warming is likely to increase by three degrees, we risk catastrophic consequences.”
Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke in a video message to the Forum of the Major Economies on Energy and Climate (Mef). US President Biden promoted the event.
“With the Paris Agreement we pledged to contain global warming to within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial levels. Most of our countries have renewed this commitment at recent G20 meetings. However, we must be honest with us. themselves: we are breaking this promise. If we continue with current policies, we will reach nearly 3 degrees of global warming by the end of the century “with” catastrophic consequences.”
Draghi also warned of the “immense economic and social costs” of the ecological transition. “On the one hand, we are determined to make this transition, on the other we are determined to protect, especially the weakest, from social costs which, as we have now seen with the increase in bills, could be truly significant.”
Ambitious targets to reduce emissions
“The latest UN intergovernmental group on climate change has declared that, to achieve the climate goals, we must achieve immediate, rapid and significant reductions in emissions. We cannot simply rely on others: we must all do our part. EU, we have set ambitious targets to reduce emissions and achieve climate neutrality. We must honor the commitments we have made on climate and, in some cases, be ready to take bolder ones “
“The effects of climate change are already very clear. Over the past 50 years, the number of weather-related disasters has quintupled. Fires are devouring forests, from California to Australia. And from Germany to China, we are seeing increasingly devastating floods. Italy is facing rising sea levels in Venice and melting glaciers in the Alps, “added Draghi.
Support our citizens and developing countries
“Serious water shortages and droughts are increasingly frequent phenomena and disproportionately affect some of the poorest countries in the world, for example in Africa”, underlined the Italian premier.
“We must support both our citizens and developing countries in addressing this costly ecological transition. Italy welcomes the ‘Global Methane Pledge’. We must reach a common understanding on the need to significantly reduce all evening gas emissions, including methane, over the next decade. And we need to build on the agreement reached at the G20 climate meeting in Naples, which underlines the importance of credible monitoring mechanisms. This is just one of the steps. to be accomplished in the coming months and years. President Biden, I look forward to continuing to work with all of you for a more sustainable and equitable future. “
European defence also discussed
European defence was also discussed at the summit. According to Draghi, “the events of recent months are leading to a profound re-examination of our international relations”.
The result of this review “can only be the strengthening of European sovereignty and one of the aspects is the strengthening of European defence”, Draghi explained. A reflection on the organisational aspects has begun and I am sure it will continue. There is not much time to go. wait on this front too”.