Italian government approves eco-friendly industry package

Feb 19, 2007, 15:15 GMT

Rome - The Romano Prodi government approved a series of measures Monday designed to make Italy's industry and consumers more environmentally-friendly.

The package deal includes tax incentives for solar energy and ecologically-sound buildings and a 600-million-euro (790-million- dollar) fund for meeting targets set out by the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

A further 1 billion euros are to be set aside to help industry cut greenhouse-gas emissions and energy consumption and to develop sources of renewable energy.

Environmentalists have criticized Italy for lagging behind in meeting the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and for not investing enough in renewable sources of energy.

Speaking Monday, Prime Minister Prodi said the package would make his government 'green.'

'We have a clear strategy concerning energy savings, the optimization of resources and the use of new forms of energy,' Prodi said.

Environment Minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio said the government plans to increase the country's production of photovoltaic energy, currently estimated at about 30 megawatts, 'to 3,000 megawatts within the next 10 years.'