8th Environmental Action Programme (8th EAP)

The indicator represents the time series of national greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2023, broken down by sector of origin. Data analysis shows that in 2023 there was a significant reduction in emissions compared to 1990 (-26.4%), explained by the economic recession, which curbed consumption in recent years, but also by a greater use of renewable energy sources. This resulted in a reduction in CO₂ emissions from the energy sector (-26.9% compared to 1990).

Italy hosts a remarkable floristic heritage, both in terms of species and subspecies richness (2,815 lichens, 1,209 bryophytes, and 8,241 native vascular entities) and biogeographical value. Of the 8,241 Italian vascular plant,1,702 species (equal to 20.65%) are endemic, meaning they exist exclusively in the country. Among these, 1,128 species are regionally endemic, with their range restricted to a single Italian region (data updated to April 2024).

The indicator also highlights the IUCN risk status of 2,430 vascular plant entities (representing 29.5% of Italy’s vascular flora), identifying the main threats affecting them. Unfortunately, the overall conservation status cannot be considered satisfactory: 2.2% (54 species) of the 2,430 evaluated entities are extinct or likely extinct; 24.3% (590 species) are at risk of extinction.

Human-induced pressures related to land-use changes represent a major driver of plant species extinction risk. The Red List of vascular flora identifies the most critical pressures affecting species: Modification of natural systems (39% of the 2,430 assessed taxa are subject to this pressure);

Agricultural development (27%); Residential development (27%); Direct human disturbance in natural environments (20%).

The indicator provides an overview of the current presence of alien animal and plant species in Italy, describing their numbers and trends in introductions over the past century. It reports the average annual introduction rate (the mean number of new alien species introduced each year), the main pathways of introduction (according to CBD categories), and the distribution of invasive alien species of Union concern.

The number of alien species in Italy is steadily and continuously increasing. Based on the data currently available, more than 3,800 alien species have been introduced into the country, of which 3,699 are currently established in the territory. The average number of species introduced per year has grown exponentially over time — from 6 species per year in the 1970s, to 16 per year in the previous decade, and reaching 25 per year in the current one. The cumulative number of alien species introduced in Italy since 1900 also confirms this exponential trend, showing an increase of over 500% in 120 years.

Land fragmentation is the process that leads to a progressive reduction in the surface area of natural and semi-natural environments and to an increase in their isolation. This process, which transforms large territorial patches into smaller and more isolated units, is mainly driven by urban expansion—implemented through more or less sustainable development patterns—and by the growth of infrastructure networks aimed at improving connectivity between urbanized areas through linear works. In 2024, 42.41% of the national territory was classified as having high or very high fragmentation. The regions with the largest share of very highly fragmented land are Veneto (39.73%), Lombardy (33.73%), Emilia-Romagna (25.22%), Puglia (25.22%), and Campania (25.76%). These figures confirm the close relationship between fragmentation and urbanization density.

The indicator quantifies soil consumed as a result of a change from a non-artificial soil cover to an artificial soil cover, according to the principle of net land take, i.e. net of transformations from consumed soil back to non-consumed soil (generally the restoration of construction sites and other areas that in the previous year fell under reversible soil consumption).
Gross soil consumption recorded in 2024 affected 8,370 hectares of territory, causing the often irreversible loss of natural, semi-natural, and agricultural areas and their related ecosystem services.

Over the period considered (2007–2023), the status of assessed fish stocks has shown an overall improvement: the proportion of nationally managed stocks subject to overfishing has declined, reaching its lowest level (44.4%) in 2023. Although fishing mortality remains critical in several cases, it has exhibited a downward trend in recent years, progressively approaching levels compatible with the long-term sustainable exploitation of resources under average environmental conditions.

The indicator, based on analytically assessed stocks validated at the international level, reflects the overall dynamics of the exploitation status of commercially fished stocks, highlighting the gradual improvement of exploited marine resources. It is also associated with the percentage coverage of landings for which stock assessment data are available, with analyses conducted at both the national and subregional levels according to the geographic subdivision established by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

The indicator provides information on the main landslide events that caused fatalities, injuries, evacuations, and damage to buildings, cultural heritage assets, primary linear communication infrastructures, and service networks across the national territory over the past year. In 2024, there were 185 major landslide events, resulting in 5 deaths, 18 injuries, and predominantly causing damage to the road network and buildings.

The indicator provides information on the number and distribution of landslides in Italy. More than 636,000 landslides have been recorded (reference period 1116–2025), affecting an area of over 25,100 km², equivalent to 8.3% of the national territory.

In 2024, Domestic Material Consumption in Italy stood at 486 million tonnes (-0.7% compared to 2023), while Resource Productivity grew to 3.76 euro/kg (+1.4%), confirming an improvement in the efficiency of the use of natural resources.

The indicator refers to carbon stock, i.e., the amount of carbon stored in Italy across the different forest carbon pools, and to the variation in carbon stock (carbon sink), which accounts for both the carbon sequestered and the emissions released due to wildfires, harvesting, and natural mortality within national forest ecosystems.

Carbon stock and carbon sink are effective indicators for assessing the condition of a country’s forest resources, as they are influenced by forest productivity and, negatively, by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances (such as fires, logging, pests and pathogens, natural mortality, etc.).

Carbon stocks in Italian forests are increasing, indicating a net positive balance between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals (carbon sink). This trend is partially driven by conservation and forest protection policies and, on the other hand, by a decrease in harvested timber volumes due to complex economic and social factors.

Emissions from forest fires remain a significant concern. The trend of the national carbon sink over the period 1990–2022 has been heavily affected by a reduction in GHG removals associated with areas burned annually. The impact of biomass loss from large-scale wildfires in 1990, 1993, 2007, and 2017 is particularly evident in the carbon sink trend.

This highlights the critical role of wildfires in shaping the contribution of national forests to the global carbon cycle.

n 2023, organic farming in Italy covered 2,456,020 hectares, involving approximately 94,400 organic operators. Organic agriculture accounted for 7.4% of all farms and 19.8% of the utilised agricultural area (UAA), according to the 2021 ISTAT Census, falling 5.2 percentage points short of the 25% UAA target for organic farming. 

Over the past 33 years, the trend has been upward in both the number of operators and cultivated area, countering the long-standing decline in utilised agricultural area in Italy.

 At the European level, Italy ranks among the most virtuous Member States.

The analysis of the contribution of different primary energy sources to gross domestic energy consumption shows that the dominant role of petroleum products is decreasing in favor of an increase in natural gas and renewable energy sources, which accounted for 35.4% and 20.5%, respectively, in 2023. Greater diversification and the increasing role of renewable sources have positive effects on Italy’s energy self-sufficiency, which remains among the lowest in industrialized countries.

The comparative assessment within the European Union shows that both Italy’s primary and final energy intensity are lower than the EU average. This outcome can be attributed to the historical scarcity of domestic primary energy resources (which fostered the development of energy-efficient infrastructures and consumption patterns, as well as a production structure that is not excessively energy-intensive), to the high fiscal burden on energy (which has raised end-user energy prices above those of other countries), to the lower per capita income level, and to the relatively mild climate. Based on an ascending ranking of gross energy intensity values, Italy occupies the 7th position among European countries.

In Italy, the share of energy from renewable sources reached 20.4% of gross final consumption in 2020, exceeding the national target of 17%. In 2023, this share declined to 19.6%, remaining well below the 2030 target of 38.7%.

The indicator measures passenger transport demand (according to different modes) and compares its trend with that of economic growth and population. Transport demand is increasingly met by individual road transport (passenger cars and motorcycles), which, due to its growth and modal share (approximately 79% in 2024), remains dominant compared to other transport modes.

The circular material use rate measures the share of material resources reused by an economy. In the period 2004–2023, Italy's circular material use rate increased from 5.8% to 20.8%.

Statistical information on environmental taxes can be broken down by tax category, the units paying the tax, the class of environmental activity, and the destination of the revenue. In Italy, environmental taxes amounted to €60.8 billion in 2024 (+11.6% compared to the previous year). In 2023, revenue from environmental taxes accounted for about 6.1% of total tax and social contribution revenue and about 3% of Gross Domestic Product in 2024.

In 2022, total expenditure by the Italian economy on environmental protection amounted to €51.4 billion, corresponding to 2.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This latter value remained broadly stable over the period 2016–2022, indicating continuity in investments devoted to environmental protection. Resources are mainly allocated to waste management and wastewater management, which represent the two most significant expenditure items (46% and 25%, respectively).

Alongside these, with a smaller but still significant share, are expenditures for the protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface waters, the protection of biodiversity and landscapes, air and climate protection, as well as noise and vibration abatement activities (excluding workplaces). The picture is completed by expenditure on environmental research and development and other supporting activities, which contribute to the diffusion of innovative and sustainable solutions.

The indicator analyzes the distribution of large and small dams in relation to the seismic classification of the national territory (Map of seismic zones OPCM March 20, 2003, n. 3274 and subsequent integrations), the Landslide Index of the IFFI Project (Italian Landslide Inventory), and the distribution of landslide-prone areas. For the year 2024, the indicator shows that the water surface of artificial and heavily modified natural lakes (the water perimeter for large and small dams) in areas with a null Landslide Index (IF) constitutes 71.6%, while only 1.8% falls in areas with a higher IF (IF>30). In terms of seismic activity, 7.4% of large dams and 2.2% of small dams are are located in the most dangerous area (seismic zone 1), while 20.6% and 11.9%, respectively, are in the least dangerous area (seismic zone 4). Due to incomplete data on the distribution of small reservoirs at the national level, the result is considered partial.

The indicator provides the percentage of groundwater monitoring stations divided into quality classes according to the average concentration of nitrates detected over a four-year monitoring period 2020-2023.

The classes typically represent conditions ranging from a low concentration of nitrates (good quality water) to high levels of contamination (at risk or polluted water). At a national level, 69.1% of monitoring stations have average nitrate concentration values ​​lower than 25 mg/l (good quality water); while 11.7% of the monitored stations recorded an average nitrate concentration greater than or equal to 50 mg/l (polluted water). Comparing the values ​​of the four-year period 2020-2023 with the previous one (2016-2019), a decrease in the average concentration is highlighted in 38.8% of the stations, an increase in 26.9% and stability in 34.4%.

The indicator evaluates the pressures on the environment and the efficiency of resources used by the economy to generate wealth, as well as its progress toward achieving a circular economy. In 2022, the ratio of national waste production to gross domestic product (GDP) was slightly above the European average (66 kg/1,000€ vs. 60 kg/1,000€). Overall, the economic system still appears unable to limit waste production in relation to the wealth produced. 

The European Commission adopted the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (EBS 2030, COM(2020) 380 final), which calls on Member States to protect at least 30% of national land territory and 30% of marine areas, with at least one third of these areas under strict protection. These objectives have been incorporated into the Italian National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (NBS 2030).

This indicator integrates spatial data relating to the main biodiversity protection systems in Italy (protected areas and the Natura 2000 Network). It calculates the extent of Italian territory currently protected on land and at sea, assesses changes from 1991 to 2024, and shows the gap between the percentage of protected land and marine areas and the 30% target set by the EBS 2030.

After removing overlaps between protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, national protected coverage currently amounts to approximately 4,071,482 hectares at sea, corresponding to 11.6% of Italian territorial waters and the Ecological Protection Zone (EPZ), and about 6,532,887 hectares on land, corresponding to 21.7% of Italian territory. The extent of overlapping areas—those falling both within a protected area and a Natura 2000 site—has increased over time, reaching 893,839 hectares at sea and 2,447,065 hectares on land in 2024. Trends show that the national percentage of protected surface has stabilised since 2006 for marine areas and since 2011 for terrestrial areas. To achieve the 30% target set by the EBS 2030, an additional gap of about 18% of marine surface still needs to be protected (around 6,600,000 hectares), along with 8% of terrestrial surface (around 2,500,000 hectares).

Both the number of protected areas and the extent of protected marine surface have steadily increased over time. At present, 30 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been established in Italy, across 10 Italian regions, along with a further 10 areas protecting coastal marine stretches.
Sicily and Sardinia host the largest share of marine protected areas, both in terms of number and area of protected surface. Between 2012 and 2023, at the national level, the surface of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) increased by 3.1%, following the establishment in 2018 of the two MPAs of Capo Testa–Punta Falcone in Sardinia and Capo Milazzo in Sicily, and in 2023 of the Capo Spartivento MPA in Sardinia.

In Italy, a total of 843 terrestrial protected areas (including those with a coastal component) have been established to date, covering more than 3 million hectares, equivalent to about 10.5% of the country’s land surface. An analysis of the historical series (1922–2024) shows consistently positive trends—particularly from the mid-1970s—in both the number and the extent of terrestrial protected areas, while growth trends have tended to stabilize since 2008–2009.

In 2024 Italy confirms itself among the EU leader countries in terms of eco-innovation, with performances above the European average in resource efficiency, energy productivity, and emissions. Between 2014 and 2024, the Italian index grew by +39.2 percentage points (pp), exceeding the EU average increase (+27.5 pp), with a particularly marked improvement in resource efficiency (+64.4 pp compared to +62 pp EU).

The indicator provides the percentage of surface water monitoring stations divided into quality classes according to the average concentration of nitrates detected and in the four-year period 2020-2023, in order to provide an overview of the level of nitrate pollution. The classes typically represent conditions ranging from a low concentration of nitrates (good quality water) to high levels of contamination (at risk or polluted water). At a national level, 95.3% of monitoring stations have average nitrate concentration values ​​lower than 25 mg/l (good quality water); while 0.6% of the monitored stations recorded an average nitrate concentration greater than or equal to 50 mg/l (polluted water). Comparing the values ​​of the four-year period 2020-2023 with the previous one (2016-2019) shows a decrease in the average concentration in 22.4% of the stations, an increase in 20.6% and stability in 57% of the stations.