APCOM

Milano's city council and the World Bank subscribed a four-page agreement protocol planning the allotment of funds intended for those developing countries that want to carry out shared programs on climate changes. This money, said mayor Letizia Moratti, will be added to the 52 million euros that Milano has already promised to the same countries in the candidature dossier drawn up for the 2015 Expo.

"It is an important agreement, the first to be signed by the World Bank with a city," remarked Moratti. "The international organisation" she added, "put at disposal for Milano and the Expo Committee its skills on this issue. Besides, there's the possibility to receive funds for specific projects, which are going to be added to those we set aside in order to help the developing countries to face climate changes".

"Our world" said Cyril Muller, World Bank's special representative for Europe, "has been changed a lot in the last thirty years. Today, it is made of big cities." From this consideration came the idea of subscribing agreements both with central and local governments. As for climate changes the World Bank, he underlined, "promotes strategies aimed at sustainable adaptation and mitigation."

Milano's city council is supporting a climate program whose object is the 15% reduction of greenhouse gases emitted by municipal activities (compared with the levels of 1990) by the end of 2012, a 20% one by 2020. Moreover, Milano has recently signed two pacts intended for climate's protection, the 'Covenant of Mayors' and the 'World Mayors and Local Governments Climate Protection Agreement'. The former is a new initiative of the European Commission which involves the European cities' mayors with the aim of improving the energetic efficiency within urban environment, while the latter focuses on the local bodies' role and their commitment beyond Kyoto's instructions.