Carlotta Alaura (ARPA Tuscany), Alessandra Galosi, Daniela Genta, Francesca Lombardi (ARPA Apulia)
The indicator considers the communication and information activities carried out online both by the individual components of the National System for Environmental Protection (ISPRA, ARPA, APPA) and at an integrated level (SNPA). With environmental communication and information activities, the Agencies decline data and information in multiple dimensions using various channels: web, social media, relations with the media (press office), public relations office, editorial products and conferences contribute in an integrated and synergistic way to the dissemination of messages. Among all, the web is the main channel: all the Agencies present publications, documents and information products on their website, real-time updates on their activities addressed to the reference communities and newspapers present in the area. In 2024, over 3,300 news stories, 119 environmental reports and 817 press releases were published on the websites of the National System for Environmental Protection.
The indicator provides an estimate of the environmental reporting and communication products, thematic reports, news and press releases, disseminated online, with which the competent public authority carries out the activity of disseminating data/information on the state of the environment.
Track the communication and information activities carried out by the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) through reporting products and online environmental news.
- Aarhus Convention of 1998 (ratified in Italy with law 108/2001);
- Directive 2003/4/EC (implemented in Italy with Legislative Decree 195/2005 on public access to environmental information).
The reference standards do not set any objectives. One of the fundamental tasks of environmental agencies is to contribute to forming knowledge about the environment.
- SNPA, Communication and information activities of environmental agencies, September 2015;
- SNPA(2025), Environment Report, 2025 Edition.
The indicator refers solely to the data collected within the National System for Environmental Protection - SNPA (ARPA/APPA-ISPRA Agencies).
In order to present a complete and exhaustive picture, the survey should be extended to all public entities that carry out activities related to the dissemination of environmental information online.
SNPA
Survey "The indicators of SNPA communication and information activities", SNPA https://www. snpambiente. it/attivita/il-gruppo-di-lavoro-comunicazione-del-snpa/indicatori-attivita-di-comunicazione-snpa/
National; Regional
2017-2021; 2024
The collection of data relating to environmental news and press releases is carried out by the Communication and Information Observatory of the SNPA, while that of the reports is entrusted to the EE_TEM 17 Reporting and Indicators Network. The data collected refers to the entire National System for Environmental Protection and to individual components. In particular, news, press releases and reports published online were counted.
The web is the main channel for environmental information. In 2024, with reference to the online dissemination of environmental reporting and communication products carried out by the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), there were 817 press releases, 3,315 news items on its activities and/or on environmental issues in the relevant territory and 119 environmental reports (Table 1). The multiplicity and lack of homogeneity of the information services that can be provided during the year do not allow a single assessment of the state.
Over the years, the methods of environmental communication have evolved significantly, adapting to different contexts, tools and sensitivities, making it difficult to identify a single and linear trend. Furthermore, a certain lack of homogeneity persists linked to the type of information services provided, the environmental problems of the area and the occurrence of conferences/trade fairs with environmental relevance. The number of press releases and environmental news recorded by individual agencies can be significantly influenced by environmental events that occurred during the year and in the territory taken as reference for the survey (Table 1).
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Table 1: Press releases, environmental news items and reports published online by the components of the SNPA Data source
SNPA Data legend
(*) ARPA Lazio and ARPA Sardegna do not have their own press office; APPA Trento makes use of the press office of the Autonomous Province of Trento. Note
Environmental news: news published in the dedicated section of the website; |
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Figure 1: Number of environmental news items and press releases (2024) Data source
SNPA Data legend
* Agency without its own press office ^ Press releases are distributed through the offices of the Autonomous Province Note
Environmental news: news published in the dedicated section of the website; Press releases: press releases published in the dedicated section of the website. |
As a contribution to the dissemination of environmental knowledge, for widespread dissemination of information, all Agencies present news, publications and information products on their respective websites. We note (Figure 1) a notable variety in the number of environmental news and press releases published by the various Agencies, and, in particular, ARPA Piedmont and ARPAE Emilia-Romagna are among the most active for the production of this type of content, in addition to SNPA and ISPRA.
As regards the dissemination of environmental reports (Table 1), in 2024 it emerges that ARPA Veneto is the Agency with the most publications (17), followed by ARPA Piedmont (13) and ISPRA (12). Differences remain between the communication activities of the individual agencies, attributable to the variety of information services offered, the environmental specificities of the territories, the presence of significant conferences or trade fairs and the different organizational equipment, also in terms of human resources dedicated to communication. In generale, a livello dei singoli enti (ISPRA e ARPA/APPA), i contenuti che attirano maggiormente l’attenzione del pubblico generalista sono legati soprattutto ai servizi meteo e alle informazioni su crisi o emergenze. On the contrary, the joint communication of the SNPA has a different content formation dynamic which involves longer times and is often based on annual data collections, presented in structured reports and publications. Despite this, the press campaigns launched on the occasion of the publication/presentation still manage in several cases to reach a wide audience, also thanks to the coverage of the contents by traditional media, such as newspapers and national television/radio newscasts.