Climate Leave Is Needed: Spain’s “Permiso Climático” Model. | Sergio Alberto Codella Discusses It on EconomiaCircolare.com
Sergio Alberto Codella was interviewed by Alessandro Coltré for EconomiaCircolare.com on the growing need for dedicated climate leave provisions and what Italy could learn from Spain’s recent experience.
In 2024, following the Valencia floods — which caused more than 200 deaths and an estimated €30 billion in damages — Spain introduced the “permiso climático” through Royal Decree-Law No. 8/2024. The measure grants employees up to four days of paid leave when they are unable to reach their workplace due to restrictions imposed by the authorities, or when severe weather events pose a serious risk to their safety. Where the emergency persists beyond four days, the leave is extended accordingly, and employers may also resort to remote working arrangements where feasible.
Italy, by contrast, still lacks a unified legal framework on the matter. Current protections rely on general workplace safety obligations (Article 2087 of the Civil Code and Legislative Decree 81/2008) and on scattered local ordinances, resulting in significant gaps — particularly for platform workers. Delivery riders, for instance, are paid per delivery and therefore lose income whenever heat-related ordinances suspend deliveries, as recently occurred in Milan during the summer of 2026.
According to Codella, addressing this gap requires moving “from emergency legislation to climate adaptation legislation,” including a minimum nationwide standard of protection, objective triggering criteria linked to official measures, and sector-specific contractual solutions for industries such as construction, agriculture, and logistics most exposed to extreme weather events.