(Finance) – The Prime Minister, Georgie Melonsspoke at the High Level Event on Adaptation during the COP28. “Despite the progress made since theParis Agreement, we continue to face a clear ‘adaptation gap’. And inadequate responses not only amplify the impacts of change climatebut they also increase tensions over resource scarcity and hinder progress towards sustainable development,” he said.
“I therefore believe that this first Global Stocktake should mark a turning point, send a clear political message and build a more efficient framework for our common efforts. Adaptation is a priority for everyone, and it is a priority for Italy, which, as a Mediterranean nation – one of the geographical areas of the planet identified as a climate ‘hot spot’ – is well aware of its responsibilities, not only its internal but in the global context,” he added.
The Prime Minister underlined how “a very important part of our project for Africa, the Floor Matteiis aimed at the agricultural sector”. Then he announced that Rome will contribute with “130 million euros” to the ‘Loss & Damage’ Fund. The EU will contribute 25 million euros from its budget to the same initiative, which “will be made available immediately”. Meloni then announced that “Italy intends to allocate an extremely significant portion of the Italian Climate Fundwhose total allocation is 4 billion euros, to the most vulnerable nations in Africa, for initiatives aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change”.
“We are also committed tofood safety: our challenge is not only to guarantee food for all but to ensure healthy food for all”, said Meloni. While recognizing how research is “essential” in the food sector, the Prime Minister wanted to set limits: development must not move towards the production of “food in laboratoryperhaps moving towards a world where i rich they can eat foods natural and ai poor synthetic ones go, with an impact on health that we cannot predict, it is not the world I want to see.”
On the sidelines of COP28Meloni had a brief meeting with the president of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog. The Italian Prime Minister expressed the full solidarity of the Italian government following the new serious attack claimed by Hamas which yesterday led to the killing of three Israeli citizens in Jerusalem and at the end of the humanitarian pause a Gaza. “Italy stands alongside the Israeli people in this difficult moment and continues to work for lasting peace. Meloni and Herzog have agreed to continue to keep in close contact on the ongoing crisis – we read in a note released by Palazzo Chigi – The Italian humanitarian commitment for Gaza continues, in coordination also with Israel, through the sending of pediatric doctors to the United Arab Emirates and the arrival of the Vulcano ship in Al Arish”