Legambiente

Legambiente is the most popular and widespread environmental association in Italy, with more than 1,000 local groups, 20 regional committees and more than 110,000 members and affiliates. Legambiente puts together information and awareness campaigns, amongst which: “Goletta Verde”, which provides yearly reports on the state of the Italian seas; “Treno Verde”, which measures smog and noise levels in the capital cities of the Italian Provinces; “Piatto Pulito”, which provides consumers with information about the presence of pesticides and GM elements in foods; “Salvalarte”, which analyses any damage caused by neglect or pollution to Italy’s cultural and artistic heritage; “Mal’Aria”, which provides thousands of anti-smog sheets to Italian citizens to measure our daily ration of poisons and give vent to the revolt of the “polluted population”.

Legambiente organises initiatives for environmental volunteers involving thousands of people: “Puliamo il Mondo”, “Nontiscordardimé-Operazione Scuole Pulite” and “Cento Strade per Giocare” for children and adolescents; “Spiagge Pulite”, work and study camps in the most beautiful areas of Italy; “Festambiente” in the Maremma park.

Over the last 10 years, Lagambiente’s political commitment and actions have significantly dealt with the themes of the conservation of nature, which we consider to be essential in terms of a qualitative development. From the law on protected areas (L. 394/91) to its full implementation based on the full autonomy of parks bodies, from the institution of new national and regional parks as well as new territorial and marine natural reserves to the construction of a national system of protected areas, via the promotion of large projects such as APE (Appennino Parco d’Europa – The Apennines, European Park) and ITACA (a network of the smaller Mediterranean islands) in order to piece together the Rete Ecologica Nazionale (the National Ecological Network).

The direct involvement of Legambiente’s Clubs has helped develop the association’s concrete commitment to promoting sustainable development with ReteNatura, the administration of 40 protected areas in conjunction with local authorities; the founding and administration of Centri di Educazione Ambientale (Centres for Environmental Education); the Compagnia dei Parchi, working for quality tourism within protected areas; technical assistance given to national parks for the Lavori Socialmente Utili (Socially Useful Work) project; the Sistema Informativo della Montagna (Mountains Information System); the organisation of campaigns such as “Vivere I Parchi” (Experiencing Parks), for the maintaining of territorial services within protected areas; “Natura vicino a te” (Nature Close to You), for a valorisation of regional parks; “Verso un Parco a Misura di Bambino” (Towards a Child-Sized Park), to stimulate under-14-year-olds’ relationship with nature; the promotion of rural development with the direct participation of Leader initiatives, Patti Territoriali (Territorial Pacts) and Parchi Letterari (Literary Parks); the valorisation of typical local products through the realisation of an Atlante dei Prodotti Tipici e Tradizionali del Sistema Nazionale delle Aree Protette (Atlas of Typical Traditional Products from the National System of Protected Areas); nature conservation, with the participation of the formulation of Piani d’Azione Nazionale (National Action Plans) for threatened species and the realisation of Life-Natura projects, for the promotion and realisation of pilot schemes and direct intervention to demonstrate the technical and operational feasibility of environmental and territorial policies put forward by the association for the conservation of biodiversity.

Legambiente is a member of the IUCN – The World Conservation Union, FSC International – Forest Stewardship Council, the EEB – European Environmental Bureau, CIPRA – International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, the Rete delle Aree Protette Alpine (Network of Protected Alpine Areas) and the Federazione Italiana Parchi e Riserve Naturali (Italian Parks and Natural Reserves Federation).