The Meloni Government persists in believing that the path to ‘sustainable nuclear power’ is viable. This is a wrong and senseless choice that risks leading Italy towards an energy transition model that has nothing sustainable about it
We ask for a meeting with the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Culture (MIC). At MASE to discuss renewables, the real driving force that the country needs and which is inexplicably stuck between delays and bureaucracy. At the MIC to resolve the problem of the Superintendencies’ repeated denials of renewable energy plant projects
For September 21st the Government has convened institutions and companies to talk about sustainable nuclear power and take stock of the platform announced by Minister Picchetto Fratin. Environmental associations criticize. For Legambiente, WWF Italy, Greenpeace Italy, and Kyoto Club “the Meloni Government is totally going the wrong way. We persist in believing that “sustainable nuclear” is a viable and achievable energy future in the short term, but this is a wrong and senseless choice. Fourth generation nuclear power or mini-modular nuclear reactors (Small Modular Reactors), the feasibility of which remains to be demonstrated, has high costs, long times and does not eliminate the age-old problem of waste, one of the main unresolved obstacles in the sector . Investing in this form of energy production, as a contribution to the fight against the climate crisis, would be an absolutely contradictory choice with the urgency of interventions to reduce climate-altering emissions, also reiterated in the IPCC reports, to contain the increase in average temperature Earth within 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era. In doing so, we risk leading Italy towards an energy transition that is not sustainable and does not look to the good of the country and the environment. Furthermore, the Executive must not forget that Italy has already expressed its strong no to nuclear power with the referendums of 1987 and 2011. What the Meloni Executive must think about is the legacy left in Italy by nuclear power, i.e. the disposal of radioactive waste given that to date our country has not yet found a solution. Without forgetting the great problem of illicit trafficking of radioactive waste, also caused by the high cost of disposal. A sector that organized crime has had its eye on for some time.”
For these reasons the four environmental associationsin view of the meeting on 21 September, launch an appeal and a request to the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and to the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano asking for two respective meetings.
“Let’s ask – they declare Legambiente, WWF Italy, Greenpeace Italy, and Kyoto Club – a meeting at MASE to discuss and discuss the true energy future of our country, i.e. the development of renewables which represent Italy’s driving force given that it has all the cards on the table to become the European hub for clean sources. Even today, the development of renewables and the construction of new plants from clean sources are slowed down by delays, bureaucracy and a slow and cumbersome process in terms of authorizations, including regional ones, points on which the pace must be accelerated by creating a national platform for renewables . This is the real challenge and objective that the country and the government should measure themselves against, not on a “sustainable nuclear power” which does not exist. We ask the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano for a meeting at the MIC to resolve the age-old problem of the Superintendencies’ repeated denials of renewable energy plant projects”.
