A new report on the state of the environment in piedmont highlights a
slight improvement in environmental data for the region. Air quality data
for 2024 indicates a decrease in pollutants, specifically PM10 and PM2.5,
remaining within legal limits.

However, Alice De Marco, president of Legambiente Piedmont and Valle
d’Aosta, expressed reservations about the report’s findings. “We
cannot positively accept the data presented in the report,” she stated,
questioning the reasons behind the decrease in pollutants in the absence of
significant structural measures.

De Marco suggested that the increased rainfall in 2024, the
second rainiest year as 1977, with a 466.2 mm rainfall surplus (45%)
compared to the 1991-2020 climate average, may have significantly
influenced the results. She also criticized the Piedmont Region’s resistance
to blocking euro 5 diesel vehicles,a measure previously deliberated in
February 2021 following an infringement procedure by the European Commission
regarding air pollution limits. The implementation of this block was
postponed shortly after its entry into force in September 2023.

Climate data also raises concerns,with 2024 being the hottest year on
record. The average annual temperature was approximately 11°C, 1.1°C higher
than the 1991-2020 reference period average of 9.9°C, continuing an upward
trend from 2022 and 2023.

Sergio Capelli, director of Legambiente Piedmont and Valle
d’Aosta, emphasized the alarming nature of the climate data. “Climate
data are extremely worrying,” he said. “The succession of years with record
temperatures is the signal,if there is a need,that the climatic and
ecological crisis is here and now.”

Capelli called for a significant acceleration towards
decarbonization through increased use of renewable energy sources, including
hydroelectric, photovoltaic, and wind power. He urged the piedmont Region to
take decisive steps in identifying suitable areas for renewable energy
development.

“Climate data are extremely worrying…the climatic and ecological crisis is
here and now.”

Understanding Environmental Challenges in piedmont