Dispatch from Italy | November '24

• Leaky building stock – October marks the season for Italy's budget plan, the triennial public finance strategy currently under parliamentary review. The latest draft proposes significant cuts to tax incentives for building energy efficiency. For example, the so-called “Ecobonus 2025”, which supported energy efficiency renovations, would drop from a 65 percent to a 50 percent tax deduction for all technologies — covering everything from gas boiler replacements to hybrid or heat pump systems. Environmental groups Legambiente and WWF Italy said this move would undermine any meaningful energy retrofit policies for buildings in Italy, contradicting the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
• Money goes elsewhere – WWF Italy has also raised concerns over a cut in funding for environmental policies. The Ministry of the Environment is facing a 9.4 percent budget cut compared to 2024, which translates to a reduction of 346.9 million euros. Meanwhile, the “Automotive Fund”, a government initiative designed to support the transition to low-emission and electric vehicles as part of the country's broader decarbonization efforts, will see a 4.6-billion-euro reduction over the next six years, potentially derailing the shift to zero-emission mobility.
• The end of coal power – Italy will close its last coal plants by 2025, according to remarks by environment and energy security minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin at Ecomondo — one of the year's key environmental and sustainability events. The minister reiterated commitments made during Italy’s G7 presidency with the “Venaria Charter”, such as phasing out fossil fuels starting with coal, boosting renewable energy growth by expanding storage capacity, promoting G7 collaboration on fusion energy, and ending reliance on Russian gas imports.
• Nuclear renaissance – It is becoming increasingly clear that the current government is eyeing a return to nuclear energy. Speaking at Ecomondo, Fratin unveiled plans for a delegated law by year-end, allowing the government to issue decrees to kickstart the legislative process for reintroducing nuclear technology. The move would reverse the 1987 referendum, held following the Chernobyl disaster, and the 2011 referendum after Fukushima, in which Italians voted against the country's return to nuclear energy.

The latest from Italy – last month in recap

• Nuclear debate heats up– The centrist party Azione and the Luigi Einaudi Foundation launched a citizens' initiative on 23 October and petitioned to bring nuclear power back into Italy's energy mix. In just two days, the campaign garnered the 50,000 signatures required to submit the proposed law to Parliament. The initiative is backed by organizations like the Italian Nuclear Association, Avvocato dell’Atomo, Nucleare e Ragione, and Giovani Blu, which are active on social media and particularly popular among younger audiences.
• Yet another major flood – Intense rainfall on 19 and 20 October led to Italy's fourth major flood in just over a year, causing widespread damage in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, particularly around Bologna – an area already weakened by previous extreme weather events. Sicily, in the south, was also hit, with cities such as Agrigento and Catania among the worst affected. The post-flood reconstruction and the use of allocated funds (1.2 billion euros over the past two years) have led to a political clash between the federal government and the governor of the Emilia-Romagna region. Civil protection minister Nello Musumeci has accused the region of not spending allocated funds to safeguard the territory. Regional president Irene Priolo insists all the funds have been spent or allocated.
• No land for renewables – Industry groups Elettricità Futura and ANIE Federation, both part of industry association Confindustria, issued an urgent appeal to the government on 3 October. They warned that the "Aree Idonee Decree", a law which identifies areas suitable for renewable installations, alongside regulations for agriculture and renewables, could halt ongoing authorisation processes. This could make 96 percent of Italy unsuitable for renewable energy projects.
• Carbon capture moves – A carbon capture project by Hera Group, developed in partnership with Saipem— an Italian company specializing in pipelines, gas pipelines, and oil drilling — has been selected to receive nearly 24 million euros in funding from the EU Innovation Fund. Once completed, the project will be the first large-scale example of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) applied to a waste-to-energy plant in Italy. The project aims to capture CO2 from the plant generating power from refuse. European authorities praised the project for its innovation and potential to be replicated in other waste-to-energy plants across Europe.

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

• As the UN climate change conference COP29 begins in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, a coalition of NGOs — including ActionAid Italy, Focsiv, Movimento Laudato Si’, ReCommon, and WWF Italy, supported by Both Ends, Counter Balance, Friends of the Earth US, Oil Change International, and The Corner House — are urging the Italian government to halt international public financing for fossil fuel projects. They are calling for a pivot towards investments that support a just energy transition.
• On Saturday, 16 November, the first Climate Pride will take place in Rome — a major street parade organized by over 50 associations calling for a radical shift in energy and environmental policies, as well as urgent action to prevent the most disastrous consequences of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. This event aligns with global mobilizations during COP29 in Azerbaijan.
• In case you missed it, the annual The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report was released at the end of October. The report highlights how countries and companies are still "fuelling the fire" of climate change, reversing the limited progress made so far and worsening inequalities. The average annual economic losses due to climate-related extreme weather events increased by 23 percent between 2010-2014 and 2019-2023, reaching 227 billion U.S. dollars. The report revealed that people in every country face unprecedented threats to health and survival from the rapidly changing climate.