Climate neutrality in Italy? Continuing like this only in 2220

2220: this is the year in which, continuing at this pace, Italy will zero its greenhouse gas emissions. This is the urgent appeal launched by Italy for Climatethe climate study center of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, on the occasion of International Earth Day.

Preliminary estimates of Ispra indicate that greenhouse gas emissions in Italy in 2022 were approximately 418 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, a value practically equal to 2021, despite the drop in energy consumption. This is due to a increase in coal and al collapse of hydroelectric production (-38%), returned to the levels of the 1950s due to drought, with renewables stopped at 100 TWh, just 35% of national production, and wind and solar up +3 GWWith the’Italy which is still bringing up the rear in Europe.

These are some of the figures in the Report “10 Key Climate Trends” drawn up by Italy for Climate, published every year and this year in its fourth edition, a report that provides a concise representation of the significant trends in the field of climate and energy that characterized Italy in the previous year.

“To respond to the energy price crisis and the worsening climate crisis, as indicated by the European Union itself with the RepowerEU plan, we should have accelerated the energy transition – he comments Edo RonchiPresident of the Foundation for Sustainable Development and promoter of Italy for Climate – The first analysis of some key trends of 2022 for Italy tells us, however, that we have missed an important opportunity to realign ourselves with the energy and climate objectives and recover the road on our European partners”.

“Since 2014 in Italy we have cut an average of 2 million tons of greenhouse gases every year: by continuing in this way we will be able to eliminate them no earlier than 2220, while the goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest – declared the Coordinator of Italy for Climate Andrea Barbabella – In 2022, instead of making the leap in quality, we even managed to increase our dependence on imported fossil fuels, which met 78% of national energy needs. With Russia remaining our top energy supplier.”

In particular, the Report highlights how the energy price crisis, on the one hand, and the worsening of the impacts of the climate crisis, on the other, have not positively influenced the transition towards climate neutrality in Italy. The escape from Russian gas and the hydroelectric crisis, caused by an exceptional drought, have worsened the Italian energy mix, with a failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, also due to the still insufficient growth of renewables in recent years. Italy still lags behind other major European powers in terms of energy transition.

Download the Report: 10 key climate trends