Dispatch from Italy | November '26

Italy experienced summer temperatures at the start of autumn, but the overall mood in the country is not warm: high energy prices remain a major concern for households and businesses. Protests and growing pressure for lower energy costs have kept the debate over Italy’s energy policies in the spotlight. The government has focused on short-term relief such as fuel tax cuts, while critics argue that electrification and the faster expansion of renewables would do more to bring bills down for good.

*** Our weekly Dispatches provide an overview of the most relevant recent and upcoming developments for the shift to climate neutrality in selected European countries, from policy and diplomacy to society and industry. For a bird's-eye view of the country's climate-friendly transition, read the respective 'Guide to'. ***

Factsheet

12 Nov 2026, 16:00 Rudi Bressa, Giorgia Colucci, Ferdinando Cotugno

CLEW Guide – Italy moves on green transition, but fossil ties remain tight

Stories to watch in the weeks ahead

Nuclear law enters into force – A new law on nuclear energy entered into force on 15 October, giving the current and future governments the mandate to allow the return of nuclear power generation. Italy phased out nuclear power after a 1987 referendum following the Chernobyl disaster. Energy minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin now said that the detailed rules would be presented by early December. Speaking at the Digital Innovation Forum in Cernobbio, Fratin said that nuclear energy is the key to meeting the growing electricity demand from energy-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence data centres.
Billions for energy measures – Italy’s draft 2027 budget was approved by the government on 28 October, and includes more than 14 billion euros for energy-related measures. These are linked to the EU's National Escape Clause, which lets member states temporarily exceed EU spending limits for defence and energy security. The package includes 1.2 billion euros to support the installation of around three gigawatts (GW) of new photovoltaic capacity, 800 million euros for the restoration of hydropower reservoirs, and 700 million euros for biomethane investments. Energy companies will also be asked to contribute around 700 million euros towards the budget. However, climate think tank ECCO questioned the measures’ effectiveness, arguing that the package lacks a broader strategy to accelerate electrification and deliver structural reductions in energy costs.
Technology-neutral approach at COP31 – Ahead of the UN climate talks (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, the EU member states’ environment ministers agreed on a common negotiating position calling for a faster implementation of the Paris Agreement. Italy was among the countries that pushed to retain references to both renewable and low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear power.
Slow implementation of govt’s climate plan – The government's climate policies have come under criticism from a coalition of 11 NGOs, including Greenpeace, Legambiente, and WWF. They have criticised the government's Social Climate Plan, which sets out how Italy would support vulnerable groups amid the introduction of the EU’s upcoming carbon price on heating and transport, the ETS2. They have argued that the agreed 9.35-billion-euro budget for 2027-2032 is lacking in coherence. Around 50 European organisations – representing transport, energy, consumers, and civil society – urged member states to implement the ETS2 as planned in 2028, pushing back against calls for further postponements by Italy and the Czech Republic.

The latest from Italy - last month in recap

Italy’s October of discontent – Protests over the rising cost of living spread across Italy in October, bringing together students, workers, and trade unionists. Truckers in southern Italy staged protests against rising diesel prices, blocking roads and disrupting deliveries to supermarkets. The disruption left shelves partially empty in parts of Campania, Calabria, Puglia, and Sicily. October also saw a nationwide climate strike organised by Fridays for Future, with demonstrations in 25 Italian cities calling for climate justice and a faster green transition. Wider protests over the cost of living brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets on 17 and 30 October, with some demonstrations escalating to violent street clashes.
Renewables face another permitting setback – The Italian government rejected 16 of 21 renewable energy projects examined by the Council of Ministers, citing the protection of landscape and cultural heritage over the expansion of renewable energy generation. However, a regional court annulled the environment ministry’s rejection of a separate 87-megawatt (MW) agri-PV project – which combines solar panels and farming – in Tarquinia, north of Rome, having found procedural and assessment shortcomings in the authorisation process. Italy faces persistent delays in permitting procedures.
High fuel prices – The government did not renew the latest temporary cut to the diesel tax, which expired on 7 November. The high diesel prices highlight a broader challenge for the decarbonisation of transport in Italy: making the energy transition affordable and politically viable in a country that remains heavily dependent on combustion engine cars. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for just 6.2 percent of new car registrations in 2025, still among the lowest shares in Europe. At the same time, Italy has one of the EU's highest car ownership rates, while public transport remains limited in coverage and frequency, particularly outside major urban areas. Many households have few alternatives to driving, making fuel prices a particularly sensitive issue as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on oil and gas.

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

Communicating climate change and health – On 12 November, the Bocconi University's MIHMEP programme (a postgraduate programme offered by SDA Bocconi School of Management), will host a science communication day in Milan. Speakers will discuss how scientific evidence on climate change and health can be communicated to wider audiences, connecting research with people's everyday experiences.
Italy's emissions fall as economy grows – Italy's greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall by 1.5 percent in 2026, while GDP will grow by 0.8 percent, according to latest estimates from the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)’s. The figures offer an interesting snapshot of the relationship between economic growth and emissions, although trends differ significantly across sectors.

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