Italy announces initiative to limit air conditioning to reduce energy use
April 21, 2022, 6:06 am

Italy announces initiative to limit air conditioning to reduce energy use

Government buildings in Italy will be asked not to turn air conditioners below 25 degrees centigrade in the coming summer months (Photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reorted, a top government official in Italy said Wednesday (Apr 20), government buildings will be asked not to turn air conditioners below 25 degrees centigrade in the coming summer months.

Giorgio Mule, Italy's undersecretary of defense, told La 7 Television that the limit was aimed at using less energy as a way to reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Russia.

The limit is warmer than typical for air-conditioned buildings in a country where summer temperatures often top 40 degrees centigrade.

The government's energy rationing initiative, named "operation thermostat," will enter into force on May 1 and last until March 31, 2023. It will also prohibit heating buildings above 19 degrees centigrade when the weather turns cold.

Canale Grande in Venice, Italy (Photo: Pixabay)

The buildings impacted by the new rule also include schools, regulators and post offices. It is not clear how the new rules will be enforced.

Though the government has no power to apply the rules to private companies and individuals, the government said it hoped they would follow suit.

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According to media reports, Minister of Public Administration Renato Brunetta said the plan would save at least 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.