Protests are growing among Sardinian Reformers, who have been denouncing for months that, with the approval of the new Energy Decree, Sardinian businesses will pay ever higher costs, producing resources that will be used to finance measures that have no bearing whatsoever on our island.
After the protests in Porto Torres and various towns across the island, the complaint continues. "We risk facing an unacceptable paradox. The proceeds from the ETS, the tax on CO₂ emissions paid by shipping companies and then passed on to carriers, will be used to decarbonize transportation, with incentives for rail transport and the so-called sea modal shift. These are legitimate tools, except that we in Sardinia have no alternatives. In fact, for us, maritime transport is not a choice, but the only option," say the Reformers. The ETS accounts for up to 40% of the cost of the crossing, and the companies have passed these costs entirely onto carriers. This is a real, daily burden that impacts the entire supply chain and final prices. With the Energy Decree, the resources generated partly thanks to the costs borne by Sardinia risk financing transportation systems that do not benefit the Sardinians. "This is a clear distortion, which contradicts the principle of insularity enshrined in the Constitution. It's not about questioning environmental objectives, but about ensuring fairness." A clear corrective is needed. "A portion of these resources must be specifically allocated to island communities, to offset the higher costs of freight transport and support business competitiveness. We have already raised this issue with a motion in the Regional Council and will continue to do so at institutional level. But today we need a clear political signal. The risk is that, once again, Sardinia will contribute to financing national policies without receiving adequate benefits."
The Reformers, led by their regional representative, Aldo Salaris, have been denouncing this issue for some time, along with businesses and truckers, "but to date no response has arrived, and if no concrete signals arrive, it will mean we'll take this battle to Rome, to the attention of the entire country. Minister Salvini should listen to us, intervene, and immediately correct this approach."
