Environmentalists are divided on renewables and on the installation of photovoltaic and wind power to produce energy: You do, Legambiente e WWF have in fact signed an agreement in which they recognize that the growth of renewable energy sources it is necessary for the country and that it can be pursued with full respect for beauty. These are associations that no one can accuse of opacity towards the protection of the environment and the Italian landscape. The position of Italia Nostra thus remains isolated, which opposes, in a more radical way, the exploitation of renewable sources to produce electricity since their installation disfigures the landscape. The rift, however, also contaminates the government where the Undersecretary for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi threatens - and not from today - with the usual intransigence of unleashing the Superintendencies to block everything possible. All this while Italy is engaged with the EU to implement by 2030 a plan for a strong increase in renewable resources. Projects that occupy a significant space of the Pnrr.
Photovoltaic and wind power: the turning point of Fai, Legambiente and WWF
Thus comes a real turning point on the part of Fai (Italian Environment Fund), Legambiente and WWF who have defined an agreement on "Renewable landscapes” in which 12 proposals are made to combine the energy transition with the protection of the landscape.
In this historic moment, characterized by the climate and energy crisis, we are faced with important challenges that require major transformations, both in our lifestyles and in our territories. For this, the landscape must be placed in the center of the ecological transition: a decisive choice so that all the necessary transformations are capable of not compromising our common heritage, but on the contrary becoming an opportunity to redevelop it.
Source: FAI, Legambiente and WWF document on renewable landscapes
The document signed by the three associations promptly lists the 12 objectives which, in their opinion, must be achieved in order to lead Italy towards the revolution of new energy sources necessary to protect the same landscape "wounded by the climate crisis and renew it in a sustainable way" . "Landscape must return to the center of public discussion in a design key" say the three associations.
Photovoltaic and wind power: the swamp of bureaucratic vetoes
Despite the challenging objectives of the Pnrr, despite the fact that the companies have repeatedly declared that they are ready to launch investments to build the already authorized plants and that they have others ready to go, everything ends up stalling following the veto of the Superintendencies. Both large and small plants are paying the price. An increasing amount of obstacles notwithstanding convenience grows of renewable sources, compared to the past.
Governments have broken the wall of authorizations. Even the Draghi government, determined to carry out the commitments of the Pnrr, and the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani (who remained as a consultant to the Meloni government) ran into the authorized difficulties so much so that Palazzo Chigi had thought of resolving first by calling on himself the decision on each single disputed infrastructure, then establishing an ad hoc "supersuperintendence" for projects related to the Pnrr.
Now come the declarations of Vittorio Sgarbi, in contrast with those of Minister Pichetto Fratin (Environment and energy security). How will it end? Now it is environmentalists who are worried: "Italian environmentalism has gained a new awareness: our landscape has always changed", he explains Stephen Ciafani, national president of Legambiente. “We can oppose the changes, or try to govern them, so that they take place in the best possible way. Together with FAI and WWF we have chosen this second path”.
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