Dispatch from Italy | August '24

Stories to watch in the weeks ahead

• Authorities on the island of Sardinia recently signed an 18-month moratorium on new onshore wind and solar farms in order to curb speculation in its scenic landscapes. Specifically, the amendment says that all protected natural areas, internationally important wetlands, protected sites of the EU’s Natura 2000 network, breeding areas for protected species, and agricultural lands with organic and certified production are subject to safeguard measures and restrictions, even if they are currently undergoing authorization procedures. However, this has led the government in Rome to challenge the moratorium in the Constitutional Court, arguing that it "conflicts with national and European laws." Additionally, Elettricità Futura (one of the country's main electricity associations) has filed a complaint with the European Commission, urging them to start infringement proceedings "given the clear constitutional issues and the strong conflict with national and European regulations."
• On 2 July, a new decree came into effect that sets the rules for identifying suitable areas for renewable energy installations. The goal is to clarify which areas can or cannot be used for renewables and to reduce the so-called "not in my backyard" (nimby) effect, which describes local opposition. However, there has been some criticism. According to the association Italia Solare, each region will be able to set its own criteria for identifying suitable areas, which is set to result in significant differences in approach between regions. This could result in a regulatory mess that might discourage both national and international investors from putting money into renewable energy projects in Italy. Greenpeace, Legambiente, and WWF are also concerned, saying that the new version of the decree gives the regions a blank check to revise renewable energy rules, even retroactively.
• Eni has begun gas production from the Argo Cassiopea field, which it calls the country’s “most important gas development project”. The gas, extracted from one of the four offshore wells drilled in recent months in the Strait of Sicily, is being transported through a 60 km-long subsea pipeline to the treatment plant, where it is fed into the national grid. According to the environment and energy security minister Pichetto, this is "a highly anticipated operation that represents a crucial step towards enhancing the security and energy independence of the region and the entire country." At the end of August, gas storage levels in Italy reached 91.1 percent, surpassing the target threshold of 90 percent 10 weeks ahead of the November 1st deadline. The EU as a whole also exceeded this threshold recently.

The latest from Italy – last month in recap

• At the end of June, Italy had 1,763,977 connected photovoltaic systems, with a total capacity of 33.62 GW. In the first six months of the year, 169,003 new systems were connected, adding 3.34 GW. 29 percent (985 MW) came from the residential sector, 35 percent from the commercial and industrial sector, and the remaining 36 percent from large-scale plants with a capacity over 1 MW. During the first half of the year residential sector capacity additions decreased by 21 percent compared to a year before, while  commercial and industrial sector capacity additions increased by 60 percent, and utility-scale capacity skyrocketed by 240 percent.
• Sicily is facing one of the worst droughts in its history. Numerous reports highlight depleted water supplies, failed crops, dried-up reservoirs, and an agricultural sector on its knees. According to MP Giuseppe Provenzano, "citizens have been enduring water rationing for months, and it’s becoming increasingly unbearable." An insightful AP report details the adaptation strategies that residents and hospitality businesses are using to cope with what is becoming the new normal.
• On July 11, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) joined the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and is leading the European network SNETP on sustainable nuclear technologies. The main goal of the alliance is to facilitate and coordinate the European industry in developing small modular reactors to help achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050, in line with the Repower-EU strategy. Yet, over 100 signatories of the “100% Renewables Network” appeal voiced their opposition to the move. Representatives from major environmental organisations, civil society, academia and research, businesses, reiterated their rejection of the nuclear plans outlined in the government’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), that includes building small new nuclear plants with a capacity of 400 MW by 2035 and aims for a nuclear production of "8 GW by 2050 to cover 11 percent of the national demand,” with the development of SMRs (Small Modular Reactors), AMRs (Advanced Modular Reactors), and fusion plants.

Rudi’s picks – highlights from upcoming events and top reads

• With the U.S. elections approaching, I recommend checking out this article by Michael Mann about Project 2025, which I found particularly interesting. It dives into the topics of conspiracy theories and denialism surrounding environmentalism and efforts to combat the climate crisis.
•  As for some good news, I encourage you to check out—if you haven’t already—the recent report from Ember. It shows how fossil electricity generation continues to fall in the EU, even as demand rebounds. Wind and solar are hitting new highs, now making up 30 percent of EU electricity generation and, for the first time, surpassing fossil fuels.
• Summer isn't over yet, so here’s an exciting update from the WWF Italia and WWF Travel's "Vele del Panda" monitoring and citizen science program, now in its fifth year. This year, there have been 126 sightings of marine megafauna, including 100 cetaceans like bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, Risso's dolphins, the rare Cuvier's beaked whales, and even massive sperm whales and fin whales. The sightings were made in the Ligurian Sea, the Pontine Islands, the Tuscan Archipelago, and Northern Corsica. These observations were made possible thanks to the involvement of tourists and WWF researchers.
• A new study titled “Climate, Weather, and Child Health: Quantifying Health Co-Benefits,” published in Environmental Research Letters, has analysed the effects of climate change on childrens’ health, showing that most research focuses on high-income countries. This latest study aims to address this gap by combining data from various countries on childrens’ health with high-resolution climate data to estimate the impacts of climate change in low- and middle-income countries.
• The Climate Arena Conference will take place on 18 – 19 October in Bologna and is a great opportunity for journalists and experts from different disciplines to learn from each other, build trust and share expertise.