G7 for the environment:in a militarized Turin the ministers set far-fetched objectives

The G7 Environment, Energy and Climate meeting in Venaria Reale, on the outskirts of Turin, has officially concluded with the signature of the most industrialized countries in the world - and therefore furthest from achieving environmental objectives - of a final document in which, among the other things, the commitment to "phase out coal-fired power generation” by 2035.An intention which, especially in light of the less than commendable performances of recent years by the actors involved in the environmental issue, smells of farce, and which is formalized in the context of an event staged in a climate of strong repression, as usually happens when protests and protests take place.During the demonstrations, in fact, clashes took place on several occasions between the police and the demonstrators - repelled with water cannons, tear gas and truncheons - which caused several injuries.

By examining the findings of the G7 in light of the current state of affairs, the issues can be clearly discerned political-media slogans who accompanied the summit and the commitments concretely undertaken by the representatives of the countries involved.In the document signed from the ministers meeting at the G7, renamed the "Venaria Charter", we read verbatim:“We are committed […] to phasing out current coal power generation in our energy systems during the first half of 2030 or on a timeline consistent with maintaining a 1.5°C temperature increase limit at range of hand, in line with the countries' net-zero paths".A clause, the latter, passed unnoticed, but far from secondary, which will pave the way for Japan and Germany - the countries most reluctant to take concrete actions on this front, as demonstrated by the fact that in 2023 they respectively obtained the 30% and 26% of electricity from coal – for the extension of times.In this regard, it is useful to remember just how much certificate from the climate science and policy institute Climate Analytics, which highlighted that “none of the G7 members” are “on track to meet their emissions reduction targets” – a reduction set at a value between 19 and 33 % by 2030 compared to 2019 levels -, which “they are not yet collectively aligned at 1.5°C”.Among other objectives, the Charter also mentions the acceleration of the implementation of the “Five Point Plan for the Security of Critical Minerals”, the establishment of a G7 Water Coalition aimed at addressing the global water crisis, a just transition to clean energy in developing countries and the launch of new generation nuclear power.

However, it is impossible to talk about the G7 in Venaria without focusing on the large protests by environmental groups which marked him, which - for the umpteenth time - were suffocated by vigorous repressive action by the police.The mobilizations had begun in the days preceding the start of meeting.It all started on Saturday 27 April with the tensions near the San Didero construction site, in Val di Susa, between the No TAV Movement and the police, who blocked the motorway and made extensive use of tear gas and water cannons.The next day, a thousand people filled a procession that marched through the streets of Venaria, also occupying the ring road, blocking traffic for a short time and then stopping in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where a bonfire was built with the American flag and blow-ups of the G7 leaders.Some members of one of the groups at the forefront of the protests, Extinction Rebellion, carried out a demonstration on Monday, going up on the roof of the university Biology department overlooking Piazza Carlo Emanuele II (better known as Piazza Carlina), where one of the hotels that hosted the delegations that participated in the G7 stands.Before being physically taken away by the police, the activists displayed a banner reading “The king is nake, G7 is a scam”.In the evening, they occurred in Turin strong disturbances between protesting student collectives and the police, who used water cannons, truncheons and tear gas to stop the protesters from proceeding to Piazza Carlina.While some injured officers are counted, the collectives' toll speaks of around ten injured people, including some minors, and one of them hospitalized with a broken nose after being hit by a tear gas canister.He will have to have surgery.

As regards the policies of our country, the betrayal of environmental commitments it is already a fact.In defiance of what was promised in 2021 on the occasion of the 26th Climate Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, in January 2023 Italy in fact put down on paper the commitment that will see it continue to provide public subsidies to the fossil fuel sector.The document, made public on 20 March last year on the online portals of the international Export finance for future (E3F) coalition, of which Italy is also part, establishes that the government led by Giorgia Meloni will continue at least until 2028 finance projects concerning the extraction and transport of coal, oil and gas abroad.The key role is played by SACE, an insurance body controlled by the Ministry of Economy and the first financier at European level (sixth globally) for public support for fossil fuels, which between 2016 and 2021 issued guarantees for more than 13, 7 billion euros towards these sectors.In the first six months of 2023, Italy has invested $1.2 billion in public subsidies for fossil fuels, a sum so large that it places it second in the world, behind only the 1.5 billion dollar investment from the United States.

[by Stefano Baudino]