On 22 July 2021, Hon. Gennaro Migliore and Amb. Sergio Piazzi addressed the Energy and Climate G20 side event “People, Prosperity and Planet at the Heart of Ecological Transition”.
The conference was held in Naples in the framework of the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Climate and Energy, hosted by the Italian Government, and it was organised by the World Energy Council (WEC) Italy and Globe Italy, in collaboration with the Department of Energy Law of the Federico II University of Naples.
The event, taking place under the High Patronage of PAM, witnessed more than hundred high level participants and the contribution of senior representatives from the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition, the US department of State and the delegation of the Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, institutional delegations of G20 countries, and front-runners of major international energy corporations.
The meeting represented an occasion for strategic debates on policies, best legislative practices, and pioneering solutions to accelerate the green transition of the energy sector and the structuring of a well-functioning circular economy.
In his address, Hon. Migliore noted that the challenge faced by PAM countries is clear and complex at the same time: to operate in a system of finite natural resources without irreversibly compromising its balance and the wellbeing of its local communities. The PAM President emphasised the urgency of rethinking the region’s energy sector and embracing an economic model that considers nature an asset rather than an obstacle. To this aim, Hon. Migliore highlighted the key role of PAM as a hub for sharing best practices on the green energy transition and resilient post-pandemic recovery strategies.
In this venue, the PAM President launched the Assembly’s proposal to establish a “Mediterranean Community for Renewable Energy”, which would represent an enhanced partnership among all countries from the two shores of the Basin to cooperate towards investing into shared economic, ecological and geopolitical interests.
Amb. Piazzi stressed that Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf countries can no longer afford to depend on polluting fossile energy sources that adversely affect the bio-equilibria of our planet. He further stressed that climate change remains a top priority for the Assembly, which has been strongly advocating for a regional Carbon Added Tax since 2015. PAM solid network of parliamentarians, scientists, and policy experts offers a unique vector to create efficient and viable solutions to exploit the region’s full potential in terms of green hydrogen production and solar and wind power generation.
As a follow-up to this event, PAM plans to organise a parliamentary conference in Cyprus in 2022 to discuss Energy Security in the Mediterranean and the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. This will be a crucial opportunity to bring all relevant national and regional stakeholders around the same table under the auspices of PAM.
The Assembly will continue to work, alongside its strategic partners such as the WEC, the World Meteorological Organisation, and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), to monitor energy and climate developments in the region.
At this G20 Conference, PAM has reaffirmed its role as a model forum for inter-parliamentary dialogue to foster sustainable development and nature-based solutions, within a coordinated approach.