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Climate activists call on Italy to take swift action against climate change
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In this file photo taken on March 6, 2020 Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg speaks during a Youth Strike 4 Climate protest march in Brussels. (AFP/John Thys)
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group of European climate activists, including Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, on Monday urged Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to take stronger action against climate change.
Italy, the EU's third largest economy, will chair the 2021 G20 and will assume in partnership with Britain the presidency of the United Nations COP26 climate change conference.
"They spoke for a long time but I feel like I didn't hear anything to our fight unfortunately," Italian activist Martina Comparelli told reporters after a virtual meeting with the Italian prime minister and Environment Minister Sergio Costa.
Read also: Not personal enough: Why climate change is not yet a top priority
"They told us that they are doing things but they are worried because people will lose their jobs," Comparelli said, adding she was instead convinced the ecological transition would help governments increase employment.
Thunberg, who was unable to participate in the press conference, met the Italian government representatives together with fellow members of the Fridays for Future campaign group, among them German Luisa Neubauer.
Rome, which is looking to cover some 30 percent of its gross final energy consumption from green sources by 2030, has pledged to exit coal generated production by 2025, replacing it with more renewables and gas.
