The Emilia-Romagna region met with young people from the Fridays for Future movement, then declared a state of climate emergency through a resolution of the regional executive.
Through a resolution of the regional executive, the Emilia-Romagna region passed a resolution declaring a climate and environmental emergency. The decision, which goes against the grain of the national Parliament, follows a meeting between the regional president Stefano Bonaccini, together with the environment councillor Paola Gazzolo, and a delegation from the Emilia-Romagna group of Fridays for Future.
The region's stated objective is to share a 'road map' towards a reduction in emissions. Having joined the international Under2mou protocol in 2018 — which entails a commitment to reducing one's own emissions by 80 to 90 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2050 — the president reiterated to the young people of Fridays for Future his intention to adopt a new law aimed at zero land consumption, under the banner of urban regeneration and building refurbishment, to commit to electric mobility, zero-emission public transport, the circular economy, and ultimately the achievement of net-zero climate-altering emissions.
"The declaration," Bonaccini said, "is not an empty document. Our commitment is to policies that are capable of responding to the challenge of climate change. We will urge the government to promote a national declaration, because the challenge is global and everyone must play their part."
More and more cities in Italy are declaring a climate emergency. In Emilia-Romagna, the municipal councils of Parma, Ravenna and Cesena had already passed resolutions in this direction. Other cities include Milan, Genoa, Turin, Naples, Aosta, Varese, Syracuse, Lucca and the smaller municipalities of Acri, Torchiarolo and Maglie. The Cedamia campaign publishes an updated map of all the cities around the world that have taken this decision.
Declaring a state of climate emergency is one of the proposals put forward by movements such as Extinction Rebellion, the aforementioned Fridays for Future, Greenpeace and others. In June 2019, Pope Francis had declared a state of global climate emergency. A model 'climate emergency declaration' can be found on the website of the campaign of the same name.