Earth Day, what stage is the 'fight' against climate change?

April 22 is World Earth Day and while nine years have passed since the Paris agreements, the Earth continues to warm more than it should (especially in Europe) and scholars are changing strategy and increasingly focusing on plans to adapt to the changes climate

by Roberto Antonini and Marcella Piretti

BOLOGNA – Today, April 22, is World Earth Day.And inevitably all reflections focus on the effects of climate changes, which in recent years have been increasingly felt in terms of frequency of extreme events, overheating and growing problems of smog and invasion of alien species.But at what point are policies to combat the effects of climate change?What about the Paris agreements of 12 December 2015?And what about the objectives of the 2030 Agenda?

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While the COP conferences follow one another (the last one was in Dubai, the next one in Azerbaijan, both oil-producing countries), it should first of all be remembered that the objective decided at COP 15 in Paris was to stay below a global average increase of 1.5 degrees per year, in order to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change.Let's go badly:the latest monthly readings all mark an increase which on average is well over +1.5 degrees.As for Europe, it seems to be the area that is warming more than any other in the world, starting from the European sea, where they are continuing to arrive alien species from the tropical seas of the South and cause major problems not only in terms of interference with natural habitats but also for humans.Scorpion fish and blue crab are examples of this.

Europe, for its part, is committed to the "Green deal” (a package of initiatives that aims at an ecological transition, with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050), but emits only a small share compared to the world China USA India.Meanwhile, the worst happens in Africa and in small island states, in Asia and in poor countries in general.It was decided to locate in Paris a 100 billion dollar fund to be allocated to mitigation and adaptation actions in poor countries, but for now the rich countries still have not implemented it, after 9 years.
Meanwhile, even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says it is moving forward with the goal of mitigation (and therefore the reduction of emissions), but now that train has left and the belief is gaining ground that it is better focus more on climate change adaptation actions, rather than prevention.That is, facing the consequences rather than trying (hoping) to stop them.And it would be an adaptation that must be tailor-made for the various countries involved, it is not possible to think of a single general project.

Looking specifically at Italy, it can be remembered the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (Pnacc), which was approved in the latest version at the end of December 2023 and consists of 361 shares to address the consequences of climate change.The objective is to implement actions aimed at minimizing the risks deriving from climate change, improving the adaptive capacity of natural, social and economic systems as well as taking advantage of any opportunities that may arise with the new climatic conditions.