Panel 1
Antonio Caputo, Riccardo De Lauretis, Francesca Palomba
The indicator refers to atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases that affect climate balance. In 2023, energy-related processes were responsible for 95.5% of carbon dioxide emissions, 12.9% of methane emissions, and 22.4% of nitrous oxide emissions, while they did not contribute to emissions of fluorinated gases. Overall, 80.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions originated from energy-related activities.
During the period 1995–2023, the trend in greenhouse gas emissions from energy processes closely mirrored that of energy consumption up to 2004. Thereafter, a decoupling emerged, becoming more pronounced in recent years due to a decline in GDP, the substitution of higher-carbon fuels with natural gas, and an increase in the share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation and industrial applications.
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes decreased by 8.4% compared to 2022.
The indicator refers to atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases impacting climate systems. Initially, the Kyoto Protocol focused on reducing anthropogenic emissions of six key greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆). With the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2013–2020), nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) was added. CO₂ mainly comes from fossil fuel use (power plants, heating, transport), but also from certain industrial processes and deforestation. Methane emissions originate from agricultural activities, livestock, waste management and fossil fuel use. Nitrous oxide is released through agricultural practices and certain industrial processes. Fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF₆) and NF₃, not regulated under the Montreal Protocol, mostly come from industrial activities (e.g., refrigeration systems) and not from energy processes.
To assess the role of energy processes in greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce the impact of energy use on climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol assigned Italy a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 6.5% from 1990 levels during the period of 2008-2012. The Doha Climate Change Conference in 2012 extended the Kyoto Protocol to 2020 but did not establish binding targets. The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit global temperature increase to below 2 °C, ideally to 1.5 °C.
The EU climate package set a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels, a 20% share of energy from renewable sources, and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. Emission reduction targets for the European Union (EU) are divided between the Emission Trading System (ETS) and the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers non-ETS sectors. The ESD, previously known as the Effort Sharing Decision, established binding national targets for Member States in sectors not covered by the ETS, such as transport, buildings, agriculture, and waste. The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) initially aimed for a 21% reduction in regulated emissions by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. The Effort-sharing Decision (ESD) for the 2013-2020 period required Italy to reduce its non-ETS GHG emissions by 13 % compared with 2005. The EU initially aimed for a 20% share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2020. Under the Green Deal, Europe updated its climate strategy, setting a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, achieve at least a 42.5% share of renewable energy (with a provisional agreement in 2023 aiming for 45%), and improve energy efficiency by at least 36% in terms of final energy consumption and at least 39% in terms of primary energy consumption, compared to the baseline scenario (PRIMES Model 2007). To achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) must reduce emissions by 62% compared to 2005, while non-ETS sectors must cut emissions by 40% compared to 2005. These targets have been translated into binding national objectives for Member States through the adoption of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR 2018/842). For Italy, a 43.7% reduction in ESR sector emissions compared to 2005 is required. To meet the 2030 targets, the European Union adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, establishing a governance framework for the Energy Union, with the primary goal of planning policies and measures implemented by Member States. As part of the process setting the 55% reduction target, the objective of climate neutrality by 2050 was enshrined into law, requiring the definition of a post-2030 trajectory at the European level. In this context, Member States must adopt national decarbonization strategies for 2050 under Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Italy adopted its Long-Term National Strategy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in January 2021, building on the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) submitted to the Commission in 2020. The measures required to achieve the European objectives linked to the European Green Deal and RePowerEU were included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) submitted to the European Commission in 2021, and subsequently integrated into the draft of the updated PNIEC for 2030, sent to the Commission in June 2023. An updated version of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) was submitted to the European Commission on July 1, 2024. It outlines new decarbonization trajectories for 2030, aligned with the objectives of the Fit for 55 package.
The Plan aims to implement an energy policy that ensures full environmental, social, and economic sustainability while supporting the transition process.
Panel 2
ISPRA, Italian Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2023, National Inventory Report 2025 (https://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/)
ISPRA, Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan for the Italian Emission Inventory, Year 2023 (https://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/)
The accuracy of the indicator decreases from the national to the local scale, due to the spatial heterogeneity in energy production and consumption across the national territory.
Data quality assessment
ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale)
ISPRA, Italian Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2023, National Inventory Report 2025 (https://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/)
National
1990-2023
Indicator assessment
Estimate produced within the framework of the preparation of the national greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The carbon dioxide equivalent value is calculated by multiplying the emissions of each gas by its respective global warming potential (GWP) relative to carbon dioxide. For example, the conversion factors are 25 for methane and 298 for nitrous oxide, in accordance with the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) guidelines.
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 384.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, representing a 6.8% decrease compared to the previous year. Emissions from energy-related processes totaled 308.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, down by 8.4% from the previous year (Table 1).
Total greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 26.4% over the period 1990–2023, falling from 522.8 to 384.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, while emissions from energy-related processes declined by 27.5%. Since 2005, greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector have been decreasing, driven by EU and national policies aimed at promoting renewable energy production.
Starting in the same year, a further shift from petroleum products to natural gas in energy generation was observed, linked to the launch of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
From 2009 onwards, a further decline in sectoral emissions occurred as a result of the economic recession. Emissions increased only between 2009 and 2010 (+2.7%) and again in 2021 and 2022, due to the post-pandemic economic recovery.
The overall trend in greenhouse gas emissions is primarily shaped by the energy sector, and thus by carbon dioxide emissions, which have accounted for slightly more than four-fifths of total emissions throughout the entire 1990–2023 period (Table 1).
Data
Table 1: Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Emissions from Energy-Related Processes
ISPRA
Figure 1: Economic and Energy Indicators and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Processes
ISPRA, ISTAT, MSE data processed by ISPRA
Greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes showed uninterrupted growth from 1996 to 2005, followed by a decline. Since 2005, emissions from the energy sector have steadily decreased, with the exception of temporary rebounds in 2010, 2015, and 2021. Overall, emissions from energy-related processes in 2023 were 36.8% lower than in 2005 and 27.5% lower than in 1990 (Table 1).
In 2023, energy-related processes accounted for 95.5% of carbon dioxide emissions, 12.9% of methane emissions, and 22.4% of nitrous oxide emissions, while they did not contribute to fluorinated gas emissions. In total, 80.3% of greenhouse gas emissions originated from energy-related activities.
Considering total emissions from energy-related processes, carbon dioxide represents the largest share (96.9%). CO₂ levels declined by 26.9% between 1990 and 2023. Methane and nitrous oxide contributed 1.9% and 1.2%, respectively, and their emissions decreased by 54.8% and 6.9%, respectively.
From 1995 to 2004, the trend in greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes closely followed the trend in energy consumption. After 2004, a decoupling became evident, increasingly pronounced in recent years due to GDP contraction, fuel switching from high-carbon fuels to natural gas, and a growing share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation and industrial use (Figure 1).
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp drop in emissions and an economic slowdown in 2020. In recent years, a reversal of this trend has been observed as expected.
To ensure consistency and comparability of the inventory, annual updates of emissions involve revising the entire historical time series based on the latest available information and methodological developments. Moreover, emission estimates are subject to a review process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which assesses their compliance with the principles of transparency, consistency, comparability, completeness, and accuracy. The process identifies possible errors, flags estimates lacking adequate documentation or justification for the chosen methodology, and may request the country to revise them accordingly.