The proceedings of the 25th conference of the parties are still under way, but Italy's environment minister, Sergio Costa, is already looking ahead. He looks to 2020, when Italy – fresh from approving the motion on the climate emergency – and Milan in particular, will host the Pre-Cop proceedings, the moment at which the calendar of Cop 26, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, is officially confirmed. Milan will also be the venue for the Youth Cop, the first conference ever organised within the UN framework to be dedicated entirely to young people. And it was precisely young people that we discussed with Costa, taking as our cue the decision by the American magazine Time to name Swedish activist Greta Thunberg Person of the Year. A recognition that also carries with it a clear intention to push governments to address the climate crisis without forgetting human rights. This is the most important challenge the international community must face in the twenty-first century.

Greta Thunberg is Person of the Year. What do you think of this choice?
Time's decision to "elect" Greta Thunberg "Person of the Year" goes well beyond the individual herself. It is the issue that has been declared the issue "of the year" [thanks to her activism, ed.], namely the fight against climate change. And Time did so precisely because the decade that is about to begin is the most important one from this perspective. We are at a crossroads: either the issue is addressed and resolved, or we will weep for having failed to do so. Here in Madrid, Greta Thunberg has reiterated that the decade we are entering is the one that will make the difference, but only if we make the right decisions now. This is the moment for negotiation, and it is crucial because Cop 26, to be held in Glasgow, will mark the assessment of the first five-year period in terms of emissions reduction commitments.

The movement that Thunberg represents bases its demands on the concept of climate justice. That is, more rights for everyone. Do you agree?
For us, it is a duty to tackle climate change while leaving no one behind. The demands young people are making at this moment are opening us up to a world of decisions and reflections that connect back to fundamental issues, such as gender equality. The climate crisis causes particular suffering in some parts of the world, above all for women, for mothers and their children. And Italy is not indifferent to such suffering. I am referring, for example, to those living in sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region, who are experiencing the phenomenon of desertification to an extraordinary degree. We must achieve emissions neutrality, but in a fair and just way. The two things must go hand in hand.

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How?
Let me give a very concrete example: together with the United Nations, we have funded a project to create water wells throughout the Sahel belt. A mechanism capable of also reviving traditional agriculture through the use of energy from renewable sources, such as solar energy with Italian technology. There are also projects in itinere in Burkina Faso and Niger, again focused on mitigation, adaptation, access to water and energy, and energy transition throughout. Finally, we have 40 active projects on adaptation and resilience. And this is where Italy wants to take a leading role. We are demonstrating it through actions, but we are not stopping there. It is the beginning of a journey that brings together the fight against climate change and the protection of the most vulnerable sections of the population.