Italian activists called for an immediate moratorium on the privatisation of water supply services in Italy on Friday, ahead of UN-backed talks on climate change in Cancun later this month.
Over 1.4 million Italians have signed a petition demanding a referendum to force the Italian government to put a stop to the privatisation of water, re-nationalise the industry and impose a cap on profits, activists said.
"It's clear how strongly people feel about this issue, which affects not only Italy but the entire planet," Simona Savini, representative for the Italian Water Forum behind the movement, said at a press conference in Rome.
"We've asked mayors across Italy and representatives from all political parties for their support. This is about respecting democracy and not going ahead with further privatisation until people have had a chance to vote," she said.
Activists are hoping a referendum will be held before the end of the year.
"From Bolivia to France, from Brazil to Belgium, in every country there are mobilisations and conflicts between those fighting for public water management and those who want to turn it over to multinationals," the forum's statement said.
The United Nations is hosting talks in Cancun from November 29 to December 10, where officials are set to discuss a binding agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in December 2012.
Last December's climate change conference in Copenhagen fell short of delivering the binding treaty that nearly all nations say is needed to spare the planet from the ravages of global warming.
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