Italy–Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation

CANADA, June 15 - Italy and Canada reaffirm their profound friendship and shared values and, through the Italy–Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation, aim to strengthen this relationship by framing and enabling collaborative efforts and initiatives in areas of shared interests. The Roadmap reflects both countries’ commitment to close cooperation in tackling global challenges together and fostering sustainable prosperity, global stability, and the rule of law, including in the context of our respective G7 Presidencies for 2024 and 2025.

Energy Security and Sustainable Transition

Both Italy and Canada are determined to develop clean and renewable energy technologies that will foster energy security, strengthen commercial cooperation, and advance our shared climate, biodiversity, and other environmental objectives, including reaching COP28 outcomes. Italy and Canada aim to contribute to keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach as well as pursue and support the clean energy transition, in line with the commitments agreed in the G7 Ministerial on Climate, Energy and Environment in Venaria, Turin. This includes, in particular, our commitment to phase out existing unabated coal power generation in our energy systems during the first half of the 2030s, and continuing to work together through international initiatives, such as the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), to help drive global efforts in this regard.

Critical minerals are crucial to meeting climate goals. Italy will consider joining the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, thereby contributing to expanding bilateral economic, scientific and technological cooperation in the field in line with the G7 commitments under the Italian Presidency. Italy and Canada will also continue their collaboration through multilateral fora, including the Conference on Critical Materials and Minerals.

Hydrogen is one of the most promising fuels in the drive towards net-zero emissions. Italy and Canada support the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian Hydrogen Association (H2IT) and the Canadian Hydrogen Association, that will provide market benefits in the areas of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology.  

Italy and Canada support the role of the sustainable fuels, including sustainable biofuels, as part of a broader bioeconomy, to decarbonize hard to abate sectors, and heavy emitting industries, aviation, maritime and road sectors. Italy and Canada will also continue their collaboration through multilateral fora, including the IEA Bioenergy TCP, Global Bioenergy Partnership, CEM Biofuture Platform, Mission Innovation, and G20 Energy Transition Working Group, and Global Biofuels Alliance.

Underlining that carbon management technologies are an essential component of the transition to net-zero, Italy and Canada commit to exploring opportunities for collaboration in the context of multilateral fora.

Italy and Canada will collaborate within the First Movers Coalition (FMC) to foster decarbonization across heavy-emitting sectors, including by supporting industry leaders to join the FMC’s cement and concrete pledge. In addition, Italy will consider joining the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough, with the aim to foster the decarbonization of the global cement and concrete sector.

Our countries recognize that nuclear energy, including new nuclear technologies being developed worldwide, can contribute positively to the fight against climate change and support global energy security. Cooperation between our scientists, academic and research institutions, and industry players will be explored, notably in relation to small modular reactors, advanced modular reactors, and fusion research, including in the framework of the G7 working group on fusion energy. Italy and Canada will also explore opportunities to promote and develop enabling technologies, including energy storage solutions, for the net-zero transition. To support these efforts, Italy and Canada will launch a bilateral dialogue between Energy Ministries to exchange on priorities and best practices and explore potential cooperation areas.

Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Pollution

Italy and Canada believe in the need to strengthen countries’ capacity to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and are well positioned to be strategic partners as the world shifts to a more secure and sustainable net-zero, climate-resilient, nature-positive, and pollution-free future.

Leveraging our successive G7 Presidencies, we will work together to encourage, and take action to ensure that, finance flows are consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development, as agreed in the Paris Agreement and in support of stronger mitigation action to keep 1.5C within reach, and that all relevant financial flows are aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). Italy and Canada will continue to work jointly with other partners, including relevant international institutions, to explore potential tools and indicators to measure how economies are progressing towards making finance flows consistent with the Paris Agreement, with a view of unlocking financial resources at scale to meet 2030 and 2050 climate goals.

Building on the G7 Climate Energy and Environment Ministerial Meeting outcomes, Italy and Canada will work jointly to improve recycling of critical minerals and critical raw materials and will work with our G7 partners through the G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency (G7ARE) to develop, by the end of 2024, a common voluntary G7 Agenda on Circular Textiles and Fashion among governments, businesses, stakeholders, and partners.

Recognizing the importance of completing the development of an ambitious, effective and inclusive, international, legally-binding instrument on plastics pollution by the end of 2024, and both countries’ commitment to taking ambitious actions to end plastic pollution, Italy and Canada will advance solutions to reduce plastic pollution and promote resource efficiency and circular economies, including in a way that supports the active participation of frontline communities, Indigenous Peoples, workers, industry, and civil society organizations.

Following the successful launch of the G7 Water Coalition in Turin, Italy and Canada will promote cooperation on water-related issues, and the sustainable and integrated management of this resource on a global scale, with a view of improving global governance, and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 and other international water-related goals. Italy and Canada will cooperate in strengthening the integration of water issues into multilateral processes and efforts relating to climate change, biodiversity, and pollution. Further, Italy and Canada will continue working together to advance sustainable forest management globally, including as it relates to wildfire management. This includes working together through the International Model Forest Network on the sustainable management of forest‐based landscapes and natural resources, as well as through contributing to the efforts of the FAO Global Fire Management Hub.

We recognize the importance of driving down greenhouse gas emissions from all modes of transportation, through efficiency, electrification, use of clean fuels and mode optimization. In the case of the marine sector, Green Shipping Corridors provide a means to accelerate decarbonization. We will explore cooperation on a new green shipping corridor extending from Canada’s east coast to multiple ports in Europe, including Genoa, and into Singapore.

Following the successful launch of the G7 Adaptation Accelerator Hub in Turin, Italy and Canada will promote cooperation to foster actions in developing countries to accelerate the implementation of their national adaptation plans and other national adaptation instruments, including by strengthening existing relevant adaptation initiatives.

Through this Roadmap, we will strengthen our efforts to work with international partners to increase the scale and speed of action and mobilize resources that matches the urgency of the moment to address biodiversity loss and climate change. This includes supporting developing countries’ efforts to implement the Paris Agreement by presenting National Determined Contributions (NDCs) by early 2025, as well as presenting and updating their National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAP) by COP16 and encouraging countries to adopt appropriate mechanisms to enshrine their biodiversity commitments domestically.

Italy and Canada have already collaborated successfully with developed and developing countries to deliver historic replenishments for the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund and to establish the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. Canada welcomes Italy’s decision to join the Nature Champion Network, which supports continued global ambition on biodiversity and nature and promotes action toward halting and reversing biodiversity loss, to accelerate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Italy and Canada will cooperate with African partners to accelerate the actions needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and support national strategies with an initial focus on clean energy transition. To this end, we take note of the efforts of the Club of Florence and the International Development Research Center to collaborate with African partners to establish an International Forum on Climate Action (IFCA) initiative to mobilize a set of high-level partnerships among world-leading academic institutions, international organizations, civil society organizations, and the private sector.

Trade and Investment

Italy and Canada enjoy a strong trade and investment relationship, with economies that are complementary and that benefit from the strength of small and medium sized enterprises. However, there is scope for greater ambition and important opportunities for growth in strategic sectors such as critical minerals, semiconductors, aerospace, E-mobility, clean energy technologies, life sciences and cyber-security. To that end, Italy and Canada will seek opportunities to facilitate even deeper trade and investment ties, by exploring potential areas for cooperation and mutual sharing of best practices, including by encouraging mutual information sharing amongst institutional investors. We also commit to strengthening business ties also among SMEs, including through tangible initiatives such as the CDP Business Matching Platform launched in Canada in November 2023, which aims to bring together numerous Italian and Canadian companies.

Enabling Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth in Partner Countries

Italy and Canada are committed to supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth that works for everyone. In conjunction with African partners, Italy and Canada will seek joint opportunities to advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda and reinforce peace, development, and prosperity across the continent; including actions to reinforce sustainable food systems, access to quality education and health services for all, energy security; and physical and digital infrastructure assets. Such actions are consistent with the spirit of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa.

Italy and Canada encourage further cooperation between their respective Development Finance Institutions, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and FinDev Canada, including to advance initiatives such as the EUR 150 million debt facility for the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD) to strengthen support for the private sector in West Africa.

In the context of the G7, CDP and FinDev Canada will work together, and with other G7 DFIs, to strengthen their cooperation and coordination, including co-leading an event in October 2024 with 2X Global to mobilize investors to support gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in emerging markets and developing economies.

Migration

Italy and Canada recognize the importance of promoting a comprehensive, whole-of-route approach to migration, that is protection-focused, addresses the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement issues, and seeks to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Italy and Canada will continue to strengthen cooperation on issues related to refugee protection and regular migration bilaterally, and in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.

We will continue to support the development and growth of community sponsorship initiatives under the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative and to broaden our approach to complementary pathways, including in labour mobility and education.

Security and Defence

Underpinned by our alliance under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and strong Canada-EU relations, Italy and Canada will contribute to global security by identifying opportunities for joint activities, including on cybersecurity and the climate-security nexus and continued cooperation in the Forward Land Forces (FLF) Battle Group in Latvia and the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) in Montreal.

Italy and Canada will also increase cooperation to strengthen cyber security and promote high cybersecurity standards, protect consumers and businesses, and reduce vulnerability to cyber incidents. We will also strengthen collaboration in upholding international norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, as well as on cyber capacity-building initiatives and regulatory measures. To this end, our Cyber Agencies will explore the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding.

We will advance closer cooperation on monitoring, analyzing, and countering foreign information manipulation and interference threats and associated risks and opportunities from Artificial Intelligence (AI), also in the context of the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism.

We will further reinforce our close security partnership in policing and combatting organized crime, recognizing the growing transnational dimension of this phenomenon, including through the new Memorandum of Understanding between Italy’s Ministry of the Interior and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and through the existing bilateral treaties between the two Ministries of Justice on Mutual Legal Assistance and on Extradition. The latter was recently reinforced by the adoption of the Operating Guidelines to improve and enhance extradition procedures. Both countries will sustain cooperation through the United Nations and existing international police cooperation mechanisms, such as Interpol and Europol.

On counterterrorism, both Italy and Canada are dedicated members of the anti-Daesh Global Coalition, actively contributing to its activities in the different working groups. We welcome closer international cooperation in preventing violent extremism and radicalization by addressing the root causes of terrorism.

We will continue to advocate and advance our shared commitment to integrating the Women, Peace and Security Agenda into our security and defence efforts.

Cognizant of the interlinkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime, we intend to strengthen our collaboration in the relevant multilateral fora to tackle criminal activities, including auto theft as their sources of financing, as well as countering the spread of illicit drugs.

More broadly, we will continue to deepen our coordination to strengthen the multilateral institutions, with the United Nations at their core, aiming at a more efficient, transparent, inclusive, and effective multilateralism, fit for purpose to face current challenges to international peace and security.

Research and Innovation

Italy and Canada have important complementary strengths in the fields of science, technology, and innovation. We will foster greater collaboration in this sector, including through Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation program with a budget of €95.5 billion, which will provide new opportunities for international science partnerships on global challenges. Building on our existing strong science and technology partnerships, we will work collaboratively through Horizon Europe Pillar 2, including in shared research strengths such as computer algorithms, quantum computing, semiconductors, astronomy, and virology.

Italy and Canada already have a history of strong collaboration in the field of astrophysics, including between SNOLAB and Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), and through experiments such as DarkSide-20K, nEXO and LEGEND-1000. Partnerships between Italy and Canada in this sector will include technological development in the field of light detection, sensitive radioactivity detection, sophisticated artificial intelligence, and applications of such technology for the benefit of society.

Italy and Canada will establish a bilateral Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to advance the safe, secure, and trustworthy design, development, and use of AI. The Advisory Group will encourage the identification of thematic priorities for bilateral cooperation on AI, for example in the fields of health sciences, transportation, and cybersecurity.

Italy and Canada will explore collaboration on a network for Italian and Canadian researchers to collaborate in different fields of quantum science and technology, and on commercially oriented initiatives with organizations such as Quantum Industry Canada. Italy and Canada will also look at ways to share technologies for high-performance scientific computing.

We will also seek to deepen space cooperation, by exploring potential areas of collaboration under the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Canadian Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. This will include exploring expanded partnerships in the context of international programs and engagement with the European Space Agency, as well as advanced industrial collaboration in the space sector. Italy and Canada will continue to work together on the implementation of the Artemis Accords to ensure the safety and sustainabilityof space exploration activities for the benefit and interest of all humanity.

Recognizing both countries’ strengths in agrifood and related technologies, Italy and Canada will aim to collaborate in this domain to seek solutions to food insecurity and supply chain disruptions.

Culture, Youth and Mobility

Italy and Canada support the role of culture as a driver for sustainable development, community resilience and mutual respect. Building on the existing Canada–Italy Agreement on Cultural Co-operation, we will promote the exchange of information and experiences between representatives of the various fields of cultural life, in particular literature, music, the performing arts, the fine arts, architecture, and digital technology, as well as participation in congresses, festivals and international competitions held in both countries.

We will continue to collaborate within relevant international fora, such as UNESCO, to defend shared values and championing education and culture globally.

Italy and Canada recognize young people as crucial agents of change and acknowledge the achievements of youth leaders globally who have made significant strides in multiple areas. With young people at its core, our partnership will strengthen youth engagement, particularly in climate action and sustainable development. This will include promoting youth-driven solutions and encouraging innovative projects led by young people, such as the Italy and UNDP-led initiative Youth4Climate, which effectively amplifies the work of young climate leaders and the power of the young generation to drive ambitious climate action.

Italy and Canada will continue to work together to foster and strengthen the dynamic people-to-people contacts between our countries. In this context, Italy and Canada will continue to promote specific initiatives on mobility and exchanges, including through the full and effective implementation of the bilateral Agreement on youth mobility, as well as to promote two-way tourism.

Deputy Minister-level Strategic Dialogue

To operationalize the Roadmap, Italy and Canada will work through the Annual Deputy Minister-Level Strategic Dialogue between our two foreign ministries, set up in 2022. To this end, Italy and Canada’s Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet in Ottawa in the fall of 2024, to initiate the Roadmap and identify possible new areas for cooperation.