GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCS, PFCS, SF6): PER CAPITA AND GDP

    Panel 1
    Update date
    Authors

    Daniela Romano

    Abstract
    Graph
    Abstract

    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.

    Description

    The indicator is calculated by relating national greenhouse gas emissions to the resident population in Italy, as well as to the national gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices.

    Purpose

    Assessing the temporal trends in greenhouse gas emissions per capita and relative to GDP

    Policy relevance and utility for users
    It is of national scope or applicable to environmental issues at the regional level but of national significance.
    It is able to describe the trend without necessarily providing an evaluation of it.
    It is simple and easy to interpret.
    It is sensitive to changes occurring in the environment and/or human activities
    It provides a representative overview of environmental conditions, environmental pressures, and societal responses.
    It provides a basis for international comparisons
    Analytical soundness
    Be based on international standards and international consensus about its validity;
    Be theoretically well founded in technical and scientific terms
    Presents reliability and validity of measurement and data collection methods
    Temporal comparability
    Spatial comparability
    Measurability (data)
    Adequately documented and of known quality
    Updated at regular intervals in accordance with reliable procedures
    Readily available or made available at a reasonable cost/benefit ratio
    An “adequate” spatial coverage
    An “appropriate” temporal coverage
    Main regulatory references and objectives

    United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992
    Kyoto Protocol 1997
    Law 65/1994
    CIPE Resolution 123/2002
    Law 120/2002
    Law 316/2004 (Conversion into law, with amendments, of Decree-Law no. 273/2004, containing urgent provisions for the implementation of Directive 2003/87/EC on the emissions trading scheme for greenhouse gases in the European Community)
    Legislative Decree 51/2008
    "Effort Sharing" Decision 406/2009/EC
    Legislative Decree 30/2013
    EU Regulation 525/2013
    Legislative Decree 111/2015
    Paris Agreement 2015
    Law 79/2016
    EU Regulation 842/2018
    EU Regulation 1999/2018
    EU Directive 2001/2018

    DPSIR
    Driving force
    Pressure
    Indicator type
    Efficiency (C)
    References

    ISPRA, anni vari. Italian Greenhouse Gas Inventory, National Inventory Report (https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/rapporti)

    Limitations

    Nessuna

    Further actions

    Nessuna

    Data source
    ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale)
    ISTAT (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica)
    Data collection frequency
    Yearly
    Data availabilty

     (http://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/) e i dati Istat sulla popolazione e sul PIL (http://demo.istat.it e /http://dati.istat.it/).

    Spatial coverage

    National

    Time coverage

    1990 - 2023

    Processing methodology

    The indicator represents the trend of greenhouse gas emissions in Italy per capita from 1990 to 2023, derived by relating the emission data officially reported by ISPRA to the resident population data as of January 1st, published by ISTAT (Intercensal Population Reconstruction), and the trend of greenhouse gas emissions relative to the GDP at market prices, with values chained to the reference year 2015, published by ISTAT. The indicators are presented as index numbers with a fixed base (1990 = 100).

    Update frequency
    Year
    Data quality

    The data used are officially published by ISPRA and ISTAT, thus characterized by high quality in terms of relevance, accuracy, and comparability over time and space.

    Status
    Medium
    Trend
    Positive
    State assessment/description

    In 2023, national greenhouse gas emissions amounted to approximately 385 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. In the same year, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was equal to €1,917,249 million, resulting in an emissions intensity of 200.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per million euros of GDP. As of 1 January 2024, the resident population was 58,989,749 inhabitants, corresponding to per capita emissions of 6.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (Table 1 and Table 2).

    Trend assessment/description

    Between 1990 and 2023, national greenhouse gas emissions decreased by approximately 26%. Over the same period, the resident population increased by 3.3%, resulting in a 28.8% reduction in per capita emissions, thereby indicating a decoupling between the driving force and the environmental pressure (Table 1 and Figure 1). A similar trend is observed with respect to GDP, which grew at a significantly higher rate than the population (+37.2%), while greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP decreased by more than 46% (Table 2 and Figure 2).

    Comments

    The indicator, which reflects greenhouse gas emissions per capita and in relation to GDP, highlights national progress towards a low-carbon, green, and competitive economy based on efficient resource use. It shows significant reductions both in relation to population (–28.8%) (Table 1 and Figure 1) and GDP (–46%) (Table 2 and Figure 2).

    Data
    File
    Headline

    Table 1: Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Italy

    Data source

    Processing by ISPRA based on emissions data (ISPRA) and resident population data (Istat)

    File
    Headline

    Table 2: Greenhouse gas emissions relative to GDP in Italy

    Data source

    Processing by ISPRA based on emissions data (ISPRA) and GDP data (Istat)

    Immagine
    Headline

    Figure 1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita (Index, base year 1990 = 100)

    Data source

    Processing by ISPRA based on emissions data (ISPRA) and resident population data (Istat)

    Immagine
    Headline

    Figure 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Relative to GDP (Index, base year 1990 = 100)

    Data source

    Processing by ISPRA based on emissions data (ISPRA) and GDP data (Istat)

    Graph
    English