The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, released the following statement:
«The World Environment Day, established by the General Assembly of the United Nations, offers a valuable opportunity to ponder over the future of mankind together, with a view to bringing about the necessary changes to reduce imbalances and promote an approach respectful of nature. It is an opportunity to reflect over the sustainability of development.
We share a common responsibility with respect to mankind: guaranteeing the right to life. This implies that the exploitation of resources should not exceed their capacity for self-regeneration and that the distribution of goods be performed in the sign of justice, without relegating the most vulnerable on the margins of society and without robbing future generations of their opportunities.
It is a difficult but absolutely necessary task. The global scope of the challenge must not become an alibi to remain inert or to postpone any action. States, international institutions, civil society and public opinion should all do their share to combat climate change in order to avoid the desertification of large areas of the Planet, prevent the wastage of water and food, protect biodiversity, enhance the efficiency of waste recycling and the reuse of materials, and generate energy from renewable and clean resources.
Reconciling Man with Nature speaks of our quest for peace, beauty, social cohesion and cooperation between people. The events of our time continue to prove that the quality and equilibrium of our Planet are strongly intertwined with lawfulness, reducing social inequalities, rejecting war and violence, people's security and health, and with an enduring and sustainable economic growth.
The theme of this year's World Environment Day underlines the connection between people and nature and calls for an ever-stronger awareness, a commitment to educate each and everyone of us to become responsible and advocates of the environment. A grass-root action and a widespread awareness can also give a decisive push to the actions of governments. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is still greatly relevant and its contents should be implemented. It will not be an easy path, but it can and must be undertaken. The commitment to combat climate change is an integral part of the objectives included in the UN 2030 Agenda."
Rome, 5 June 2017