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The Environmental Action Strategy for Sustainable Development in Italy is a strategic instrument with a national coverage which sets out the goals to be attained for sustainable development and outlines related measures and actions to be undertaken. The national environmental action strategy ensures continuity to the European Union action, namely through the Sixth Environmental Action Plan, with the targets regarding social cohesion, full employment and environmental protection approved by the Council of Europe in Lisbon and Göthenburg. Moreover, according to the guidelines of Barcelona 2002 European Council, the strategy must ensure the setting of tools needed for the concertation, participation, sharing of responsibilities at a national level and reporting. The document is composed of the following Chapters: 1) Environmental Action Plan; 2) Environmental action tools; 3) Climate and atmosphere; 4) Nature and biodiversity; 5) Air quality and quality of life in urban areas; 6) Exploitation of natural resources and waste generation; 7) Monitoring the Environmental Action for Sustainable Development.The inspiring principles of the strategy are the following: integration of environmental issues into other policy making processes; the preference for an aware economic and environmental lifestyle; an increase in the global efficiency of resource usage; refusal of the “end cycle” intervention approach and promotion of prevention policies; general waste reduction; stretching the lifetime of goods; ending of material cycles of production-consumption; development of local markets and local productions; promotion of typical products and traditional cultures; involvement of social parties in setting goals, commitments and sharing responsibilities. The action strategy distinguishes first its operational tools of general purpose within four broad priority subject matters, the same stated by the Sixth Environmental EU Action Plan, as follows: climate change and ozone layer protection; protection and sustainable valorisation of Nature and Biodiversity; quality of the environment and quality of life in urban areas; exploitation of resources and waste generation.Regarding quality of life, the document includes objectives and defines tools to ensure food safety. It states that food security recalls the need for a correct and balanced diet, public information (through schools and media), preventive actions regarding food risks, the right of consumers for aware and motivated choices in such a context where both enterprises and consumers take on their own responsibilities.The overall objectives for the protection and sustainable use of nature, biodiversity, soil and sea include: preservation of biodiversity; protection of the territory against hydro-geological, seismic and volcanic risks as well as coastal erosion; reduction and prevention of the desertification; reduction of the pollution on inland waters, marine environment and soils; reduction of the anthropic pressure on natural systems, farm and forest areas, sea and coastsThese are the objectives regarding climate change: reduction of greenhouse effects emissions; coordination projects and subsidies; identification of an optimal strategy to reduce emissions within the Air-Quality Protection and Remediation Plans; elaboration of Energy-Environment Plans mainly pivoted to renewable resources, technological innovation, rationalization of energy consumption and electric power generation; promotion in the productive sector of eco-efficiency and international co-operation.
Implements: Decision No. 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme. (2002-07-22)
