Le politiche climatiche dopo Kyoto: interventi a livello nazionale e ricorso ai meccanismi di flessibilità

The Kyoto Protocol, signed at Kyoto in December 1997 in the framework of the Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, represents the first step to give effect to the ultimate objective of the Framework Convention, that is the reduction of greenhouse gases concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The Protocol contains binding commitments to the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions for industrialised countries and economies in transition, with a view to reducing the overall emissions of such gases by at least 5 per cent below 1990 levels in the first commitment period (2008-2012). In order to comply with the commitments contained in the Kyoto Protocol, the Parties will need to elaborate national climate policies. Such policies should first of all call for the realisation of actions at a national level, aiming at a general rethinking and reshaping of all economic activities liable to contribute to the aggravation of climate change. Secondly, however, in order to enable the Parties to fulfil their commitments in due time, without bearing excessive costs, the Protocol has foreseen the possibility to achieve parts of the agreed emission reductions by means of the so-called flexibility mechanisms. The present article, after describing the characteristics of the flexibility mechanisms, analyses the scenario for the Italian Climate Policy after Kyoto, as determined by the Guidelines for the national policies and measures for greenhouse gases reductions, drafted by an ad-hoc Interministerial Committee and recently approved by CIPE.