Download italy position paper

United Nations World Tourism Organization
Tourism’
s Role in Global Climate Change
Delegation of Italy
Kara Goldstein
Clarkstown HS North
As recently seen throughout the world, global climate change is a severe
concern. This serves as a threat to ecosystems and environmental sectors
throughout the world. More on people’
s minds, however, is the economic effects
climate change is having on the international community. Specifically, global
warming has a huge effect on tourism industries, and other sectors associated
with it. In order to salvage the world’
s economic and environmental situation,
individual nations, as well as various NGO’
s and international bodies need to
work together, while improving their individual status at the same time.
Climate change has a huge effect on Italy. It has been proven that Italy’
s
climate is heating up four times faster than the rest of the world. Specifically in
the Alps, the increase in heat causes a gradual melting of snow, and the
decrease in glacial volume. Both of these components pose the potential for
Glacier Lake Outburst Floods. Global warming also has induced the upward
migration of alpine plants. In the Venice Lagoon and Mediterranean Sea, the
sea-level has risen, the shoreline has retreated, sediment dynamics have been
altered, and many other aquatic problems have resulted from global climate
change. Although these are not the only areas affected by climate change, they
are three main tourist areas, and as their status decreases, so does the profit
margin from tourism. As a whole, global climate change poses a huge threat to
Italy’
s economy, therefore prompting a governmental response.
Italy’
s government has been very dedicated to their commitment to the
Kyoto Protocol and the Climate Change Convention, as well as other
commitments. As a result, Italy has insinuated various legislation to help reach its
goal of energy emission reduction, and has done so even prior to signing the
Kyoto Protocol in 2002. Italy also supports the work of the IPCC, and has
expressed that through the contribution of four Italian scientists, in addition to
financial aid. In addition, CIPE (the Inter-ministerial Committee for Economic
Planning) has been working diligently to achieve Italy’
s GHG emissions reduction
objective. By revising the guidelines for national policies in cooperation with other
international organizations, CIPE has come up with six main strategies to help
combat climate change in Italy, mainly dealing with promotion of alternative
energy promotion, and efficiency of energy storing by the promotion of carbon
sequestration. The new government, implemented in 2006, has been specifically
dedicated to eradicating this problem, and has begun an extensive review of
national policy, consistently affirming its dedication to reach the Kyoto
commitments. Throughout the years, domestic efforts have accounted for 80% of
the reduction effort, while Kyoto suggestions have accounted for 20% of the
effort, reinforcing that the Italian government has done its part in promoting
change on a national level. Banning nuclear energy and creating carbon taxes
are just a few specific examples of the effort we have put into this issue. Our
local governments have also tried to translate national legislation into regional
possibilities. We have also tried to help developing nations and economies in
transition by encouraging bilateral exchanges of research approaches,
information, and methodologies. We believe that international cooperation is a
huge part in achieving our goal of a cleaner, more prosperous world, and that
developing nations should have aid from their more developed partners.
The main question now is; what can the rest of the world do. The
Delegation of Italy believes that an international mitigation system should be
implemented, which is modeled off of Italy’
s system of bilateral talks between
developed and developing nations. We believe this is an integral part in reaching
our goal. Many developing nations and SIDS see Western nations as a threat,
but through this system, we can prove them wrong, and show that we have the
world’
s best interest at heart. The Delegation of Italy also requests NGO aid in
monitoring the environmental progress in various nations, and to make sure
these nations are in line to reaching the Kyoto requirements. The Delegation of
Italy, in conjunction with the rest of EU delegations supports these monitoring
procedures, and believes that they are a good indication of where the world
stands. We also suggest the international promotion of alternative fuel sources,
and the benefits that they can inspire. Lastly, The Delegation of Italy promotes an
international pollution tax, which fluctuates based on the GNP of a nation. Like
the carbon taxes in Italy, these taxes would encourage more efficient energy use.
Italy has done its best to work towards achieving the goal of limiting global
climate change. We are dedicated to this issue because of the negative
implications that it produces. Tourism is a huge contributor to our GNP, and the
Delegation of Italy realizes the danger global climate change poses to
international tourism. As the state of our nation deteriorates because of climate
change, interest in traveling to Italy decreases, which poses a huge problem.
This problem goes much further though. National economies, cultures, and
resources are at stake, and we believe there is no reason the international
community cannot work together to end this problem, and create a better world.
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE49K5WI20081021?pageNum
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http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/44306/story.htm
http://www.iea.org/textbase/pm/?mode=cc&action=view&country=Italy
http://www.feem.it/NR/rdonlyres/A04987D3-F5BE-46DA-AB14C55D5128B819/1256/10306.pdf
pages 4- 8
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/problems/global_warmin
g/scientific_proof/ipcc_report/italy.cfm
http://www.ipcc.ch/about/index.htm