Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
“Urgent to switch to renewables”
Greenpeace publishes “The gas trap” dossier against high bills
A group of Greenpeace Italy activists from eight different European countries today climbed Rome’s gasometer to unfurl a 200-square-metre banner reading “Meloni, we’re at the end of the line with gas”. The protest, under the slogan “Stop Fossil Gas”, aims to urge the Italian government and European governments to phase out fossil gas by 2035.
According to the environmental organisation, as long as Italy continues to rely on fossil fuels for heating and electricity generation, households will remain at the mercy of high bills. “Only by focusing on renewable energy can we guarantee energy security and reduce costs for citizens,” said Simona Abbate, climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Italy.
Coinciding with the protest, the association released the briefing “The gas trap”, an analysis of the weaknesses in the national energy system. The document highlights that about 46% of Italy’s electricity is still generated by burning gas: a dependence that not only makes Italian electricity tariffs the most expensive in Europe, but also exposes the country to market volatility, geopolitical crises and foreign supplies, such as those from the United States.
Greenpeace is therefore calling on the government to set a firm date for phasing out fossil gas (by 2035) and to permanently decouple the price of electricity from that of gas, while introducing concrete support for the groups hardest hit by high energy costs. To fund this acceleration towards renewables, the association proposes taxing the excess profits of fossil energy companies.
