Climate change

In 2023, approximately 1.1 million tons of special waste were sent for incineration, of which nearly 690 thousand tons (64.7% of the total) were non-hazardous and almost 376 thousand tons (35.3% of the total) were hazardous.

The incineration plants in operation treating such waste amounted to 74, of which 44 were located in the North, 8 in the Center, and 22 in the South.

Consistent with the distribution of the plant infrastructure, the majority of special waste was treated in plants located in the North (82.6% of the total, nearly 880 thousand tons), followed by the southern regions (15.4%, 164 thousand tons) and the central regions (2%, about 22 thousand tons).

The indicator represents, over the period 1990-2023, the trend of greenhouse gas emissions in Italy per capita and relative to GDP. A decrease is observed for both, accentuated by the growth of the population and GDP, which highlights a decoupling between drivers and pressures.

The phenomenon of forest fires analyzed based on data collected from 1970 to 2023 by the State Forestry Corps, now CUFA (Carabinieri Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Unit Command), shows a fluctuating trend, with peak years (1993, 2007, 2017, 2021) alternating with years of decline (2013, 2014, 2018). The presence of fires within Protected Areas is high, with exceptionally large burned areas recorded in certain years, such as 2021 and 2022, when 26,507 hectares and 11,101 hectares were affected by fire, respectively.

The incidence of intentional fires is very high, accounting for approximately half of all recorded events and exceeding 60% in some years (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020).

The indicator represents the historical series of national greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2022, broken down by sector. The data analysis shows a significant reduction in emissions in 2022 compared to 1990 (-21%), which can be explained by the economic recession that has slowed consumption in recent years, as well as by an increased use of renewable energy, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions from the energy sector (-20% compared to 1990).

The efficiency indicator, calculated for the years from 1990 to 2020, represents carbon dioxide emissions per unit of value added in the manufacturing and construction sectors in Italy. The substantial reduction in emission intensity over the years (-48% between 1990 and 2020) indicates an improvement in the level of efficiency achieved by the Italian manufacturing and construction industry.

Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Plans are the primary tools available to regional authorities to address the impacts of climate change and implement actions aimed at reducing territorial vulnerabilities. In Italy, the number of adopted regional strategies and plans remains very limited. Despite the absence of a binding regulatory framework and a national programmatic reference context, there are ongoing initiatives, projects, and climate vulnerability studies that are expected to lead toward the formal adoption of first Adaptation Strategies and subsequently Climate Change Adaptation Plans. The challenge posed by climate change urgently requires the definition and implementation of concrete actions to enhance territorial resilience.