Panel 1
Antonio Caputo, Riccardo De Lauretis, Francesca Palomba
The indicator assesses the trend of greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes across different sectors, with the aim of reducing the climate impact of energy use. Greenhouse gas emissions from energy processes decreased by 27.5% over the period 1990–2023, with sector-specific variations.
Emissions from the residential and commercial sector declined by 12.6% compared to 1990, while emissions from the transport sector increased by 5.8%. Over the same period, emissions from the energy industry fell by 47.3%, and those from the manufacturing industry decreased by 45.2%.
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from energy processes amounted to 308.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, representing a reduction of 8.4% compared to the previous year.
The indicator consists of a sectoral disaggregation of greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes. The sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions from energy use include: energy industries, manufacturing industries, the residential and services sector, and transport. The main greenhouse gases associated with energy-related emissions are: CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O.
To assess the trend of greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes across different sectors, with the aim of reducing the impact of energy use on climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol set a greenhouse gas emission reduction target for Italy of 6.5% for the period 2008–2012 compared to 1990 levels. The Climate Change Conference held in Doha in 2012 extended the Kyoto Protocol until 2020, although no binding agreement on further reductions was reached at that time. The Paris Agreement, adopted at the 2015 Climate Conference (COP21), established the goal of limiting global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
At the European level, the 2020 Climate and Energy Package set three main targets: a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels, a 20% share of energy from renewable sources, and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. Emission reduction targets are differentiated between emissions from industrial installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and those from sectors governed by the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). ETS installations are managed at the EU level, with a reduction target of 21% compared to 2005 levels, applied at the national scale. The national target for ESD sectors is a 13% reduction in emissions compared to 2005. For renewable energy, Italy’s national target is a 17% share of gross final energy consumption to be met by renewable sources.
Under the European Green Deal, the EU updated its climate strategy framework, setting a 2030 target of a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels, at least a 42.5% share of renewable energy (with a provisional agreement reached in 2023 and an ambition to reach 45%), and an improvement in energy efficiency of 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 2007 model).
To achieve the 2030 emission reduction targets, sectors covered by the EU ETS must reduce their emissions by 62% compared to 2005, while non-ETS sectors are required to achieve a 40% reduction compared to 2005 levels. These targets have been translated into binding national targets for Member States through the adoption of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR, Regulation (EU) 2018/842). For Italy, the target for ESR sectors is a 43.7% reduction in emissions compared to 2005 levels.
To support the achievement of 2030 targets, the EU adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, which established the Governance Framework for the Energy Union. Its main objective is to ensure coherent planning of national policies and measures by Member States. As part of the legislative process that established the 55% reduction target, the EU enshrined into law the objective of climate neutrality by 2050, providing for the definition of an EU-wide trajectory beyond 2030. In this context, Member States are required to adopt long-term national strategies for decarbonisation by 2050, as stipulated in Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Italy adopted its Long-Term Strategy for greenhouse gas emission reductions in January 2021, building on the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) submitted to the European Commission in 2020.
The measures required to meet the European Green Deal and RePowerEU objectives were considered in Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), submitted to the European Commission in 2021. These measures were later integrated into the draft NECP with a 2030 horizon, submitted in June 2023. The final updated version of the NECP was transmitted to the European Commission on July 1, 2024, and includes revised 2030 decarbonisation pathways aligned with the "Fit for 55" package.
The Plan aims to implement an energy policy that ensures full environmental, social, and economic sustainability, while supporting a just and effective energy transition.
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, Various years,
https://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/
European Environment Agency, Energy and Environment in the European Union, Environmental Issue Report No. 31, 2002,
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/environmental_issue_report_2002_31
The accuracy of the indicator decreases when moving from the national to the local level, due to the uneven spatial distribution of energy production and consumption across the national territory.
Data quality assessment
ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale)
ISPRA, Atmospheric Emissions Inventory,
https://emissioni.sina.isprambiente.it/inventario-nazionale/
National
1990-2023
Indicator assessment
Estimate carried out as part of the preparation of the national emission 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 21 for methane and 310 for nitrous oxide.
To ensure consistency and comparability of the inventory, the annual update of emissions involves the revision of the entire historical time series based on available information and the latest methodological developments.
The sectoral disaggregation used is the same as that adopted by the European Environment Agency (2002), Energy and Environment in the European Union, Environmental Issue Report No. 31.
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes amounted to 308.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, representing a decrease of 8.4% compared to the previous year.
The transport sector accounted for 35.4% of total emissions, energy industries for 25.9%, the residential and commercial sector for 22.3%, and manufacturing industries for 16.3% (Table 1).
In 2023, emissions from the energy industry sector decreased by 19.9% compared to 2022, due to a reduction in coal-fired power generation and an increase in electricity production from renewable sources.
Greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes decreased by 27.5% over the period 1990–2023, falling from 426.2 Mt CO₂eq to 308.8 Mt CO₂eq. Trends vary significantly across sectors.
Transport-related emissions initially increased, with a growth phase up to 2007 (+26.4% compared to 1990), followed by a decline primarily due to the economic crisis and, more recently, the increasing market penetration of more efficient vehicles (–18.2% between 2007 and 2019). The sharp drop observed from 2019 to 2020 (–18.3%) was attributable to reduced travel and fuel consumption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the subsequent years saw a rebound (+25.5% by 2023).
Emissions from the residential and services sector show a fluctuating trend, with a 12.6% reduction in 2023 compared to 1990. In the manufacturing industry sector, emissions have declined since 1990, with a sharper decrease following the 2007 economic crisis and a steep drop in 2020, resulting in an overall reduction of 45.2% over the 1990–2023 period. This reduction was also supported by efficiency improvements, particularly in the chemical industry. In 2023, emissions from this sector were less than half the peak level recorded in 1999.
Emissions from the energy industry sector, after peaking in 2006, subsequently declined significantly, with a total reduction of 47.3% in 2023 compared to 1990 (Table 1 and Figure 1).
Data
Table 1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Processes by Sector.
ISPRA
Figure 1: Percentage Change in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector Compared to 1990 for the Years 2022 and 2023.
ISPRA
Greenhouse gas emissions from energy-related processes decreased by 27.5% in 2023 compared to 1990, with a significant contribution from the manufacturing and energy industries, which recorded reductions of 45.2% and 47.3%, respectively.
The relative contribution of different sectors also changed over time. Specifically, the share of greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing industries declined from 21.6% in 1990 to 16.3% in 2023, while emissions from the energy industry decreased from 35.6% to 25.9% (Table 1).
Conversely, emissions from the residential and services sector increased their share from 18.5% to 22.3%, and those from the transport sector rose from 24.2% to 35.4% (Table 1).