Antonio Caputo, Daniela Romano
The indicator concerns atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) at the origin of the acidification processes. Sulfur dioxide emissions basically come from energy processes. In 2024, these processes contributed 90.2% of overall sulfur dioxide emissions. Sulfur dioxide emissions essentially originate from the use of fossil fuels (plants for energy production, domestic heating and transport); they can be reduced by improving the quality of the fuels and/or through the treatment of the gaseous effluents of the process. The decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions from energy processes (-96.3% in 2024 compared to 1990 and -98.1% compared to 1980), due to the use of fuels with a lower sulfur content and the use of emissions reduction systems, has so far guaranteed compliance with international protocols on acidification. Overall sulfur dioxide emissions in 2024 are 82.9% lower than in 2005.
The indicator concerns atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) at the origin of the acidification processes. Sulfur dioxide emissions essentially come from the use of fossil fuels (energy production systems, domestic heating and transport); they can be reduced by improving the quality of the fuels and/or through the treatment of the gaseous effluents of the process.
Evaluate the role of energy processes with respect to sulfur dioxide emissions, in order to reduce the contribution of energy use to air pollution.
Directive 2001/81/EC (NEC Directive), implemented in Italy by Legislative Decree no. 171/2004, had set the maximum ceiling for national SO2 emissions at 475 kt starting from 2010. This rule transposed the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to combat acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone at community level.
This structure was superseded by Directive (EU) 2016/2284, implemented with Legislative Decree no. 81 of 2018 (whose technical annexes were last updated by the Ministerial Decree of 11 November 2024). The new regulation no longer expresses the objectives in absolute values, but rather in percentages of reduction compared to 2005 levels: for sulfur dioxide a reduction of 35% is expected for the period 2020-2029 and of 71% starting from 2030.
The rest of the historical regulatory framework, which included fragmented disciplines on fuels and systems, has been entirely reorganized and absorbed by the following current regulations:
- Regulation of industrial plants and refineries: The old limits and authorization procedures set by the Presidential Decree 203/1988 and by the Ministerial Decree 12 July 1990 were entirely repealed and merged into Part Five of Legislative Decree no. 152/2006 (Consolidated Environmental Law).
- Sulfur content in liquid fuels: The restrictions originally introduced by Directive 75/716/EEC are now regulated by Directive (EU) 2016/802 and integrated into Title III of Part Five of Legislative Decree 152/2006.
- Large Combustion Plants (GIC): Directive 88/609/EEC (implemented with Ministerial Decree 8 May 1989) has been superseded by the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). The sector is today governed by the New IED Directive (EU Directive 2024/1785), which introduces even more stringent limits based on the latest available technologies (BAT).
ISPRA, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Plan for the Italian Emission Inventory. Annual editions. https://emissioni. sina. isprambiente. it/economia-nazionale/
ISPRA, Information Inventory Report (IIR). Annual editions. https://emissioni. sina. isprambiente. it/economia-nazionale/
The relevance of the indicator is reduced when moving from the national to the local level, due to the non-uniform distribution of energy production and consumption across the national territory.
ISPRA
ISPRA, Information Inventory Report 2026. Annual editions. https://emissioni. sina. isprambiente. it/economia-nazionale/
National
1980-2024
Estimate carried out as part of the preparation of the national emissions inventory.
Transposed into Italy with Legislative Decree no. 81/2018, Directive (EU) 2016/2284 (NEC Directive) defines the new national objectives for the reduction of air pollutants. The main innovation concerns sulfur dioxide (SO₂): the old limits expressed in absolute value give way to binding reduction percentages, calculated taking 2005 as the reference year.
For Italy, this trajectory translates into specific and progressive emission ceilings:
- Target for the period 2020-2029 (35% reduction): The national maximum limit for any year of the decade is set at 267.16 kt.
- Target starting from 2030 (71% reduction): The maximum permitted limit drops to 119.20 kt.
Official monitoring data confirm that, thanks to the accelerated decarbonisation of the thermoelectric sector and the severe limits on fuels, the 2030 target (119.20 kt) has already been structurally reached and exceeded ahead of the formal deadline.
In 2024, the energy sector is responsible for emitting 63.2kt of SO into the atmosphere 2, equal to 90.2% of the national total (Table 1), and recording an 84% reduction compared to 2005, therefore contributed decisively to achieving the set objective.
The decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions from energy processes (-96.1% in 2023 compared to 1990 and -98.1% compared to 1980), due to the use of cleaner fuels and fuels, has so far guaranteed compliance with international protocols on acidification.
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Tabella 1: Emissioni SO2 complessive e processi energetici Data source
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Figura1: Emissioni anidride solforosa complessiva e da energia Data source
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Energy processes constitute the predominant source of national emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), with a share that in 2024 reached 90.2% of the overall total. The effectiveness of the environmental and technological policies of recent decades is clearly demonstrated by the progressive decline in the impact of this sector, whose relative contribution fell from 98.6% in 1997 to 90.2% in 2024. This structural contraction was mainly determined both by the quality of the fuels, with the reduction of the sulfur content, and by technological innovation (Table 1 and Figure 1). It should be noted that to guarantee the consistency and comparability of the inventory, the annual update of emissions involves the revision of the entire historical series on the basis of available information and the most recent methodological developments.