Dispatch from Italy | August '25
*** Get a bird's-eye view of Italy’s climate-friendly transition in the CLEW Guide – Italy moves on green transition, but fossil fuel ties remain tight***
Stories to watch in the weeks ahead
- Climate records – August, traditionally a holiday month in Italy, began with a powerful heatwave pushing temperatures up to 39–40°C in many cities. It followed another spell of extreme heat in late June. July saw the country split between climate extremes: the south saw temperatures reach 45°C; while the north was battered by floods and landslides, particularly in the Alps, cutting off popular mountain destinations such as Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Sardinia faced numerous wildfires along its coasts, forcing the evacuation of dozens of tourists, while a major blaze in the Vesuvius National Park near Naples demanded extensive firefighting efforts by the civil protection service.
- CO2 emissions back on the rise – After two and a half years of decline, Italy’s CO₂ emissions from energy use are back on the rise. In the first half of 2025, they are estimated to have grown by about 1.5 percent compared to the same period in 2024, with most of the increase occurring in the first quarter due to a colder-than-average winter that boosted heating demand. The power sector was also a primary driver: poor renewable energy output — hydropower down 20 percent and wind down 12 percent — combined with reduced electricity imports pushed gas-fired generation up by 10 percent. In the next five years, CO₂ emissions will need to fall by six percent per year — almost twice the reduction achieved in the past three years.
- Electric car incentives, not for all – Italy has approved nearly 700 million euros in subsidies to boost electric vehicle (EV) adoption, offering up to 10,000 euros to private buyers scrapping older cars. The move comes as the country lags behind much of the EU in EV uptake: in 2024, only 4.2 percent of new registrations were fully electric, placing Italy fifth from last in the Union. By contrast, in the first half of 2025, battery-electric vehicles reached a 15.6 percent market share EU-wide. The structural weakness of Italy’s car market is evident, with sales projected to reach a total of just 1.5 million units in 2025, about 400,000 fewer than in 2019, and the average car on the road is 12.5 years old. Without incentives, industry group UNRAE warned, the transition will stall, especially after the government postponed by a year the planned ban on Euro 5 cars in the country’s most polluted areas. Environmental groups blasted the move as “yet another populist delay.”
The latest from Italy – last month in recap
The latest from Italy – last month in recap
- Italy joins the Nuclear Alliance – In June 2025, Italy formally joined the European Nuclear Alliance, moving from observer status to an active member in working groups and strategic decision-making on the role of nuclear power in the future energy mix. A recent study by ENEA, Italy’s national energy and environment agency, and Confindustria, the country’s main employers’ federation, estimates that new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) technologies could generate around 117,000 jobs nationwide, with the first plant potentially coming online by 2035. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has allocated 7.5 million euros in 2025–2026 for public communication campaigns on nuclear energy and safety — a move criticised by the renewables lobby FREE, which highlights the far smaller pot of funding available for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. [Read more in our Q&A: Italy considers controversial return to nuclear power]
- Italian court clears landmark climate case against Eni – Italy’s Supreme Court has ruled that a climate lawsuit brought by Greenpeace Italy, ReCommon and 12 citizens against oil and gas major Eni can proceed, in what campaigners called a “historic” step for climate justice in the country. The plaintiffs accuse Eni – along with state-controlled investors Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and the Ministry of Economy and Finance – of knowingly contributing to climate change for decades and failing to align its business with the Paris Agreement. The decision paves the way for the Rome tribunal to examine the merits of the case, which could eventually set a precedent for future climate litigation in Italy. Environmental groups say it puts the country in line with other European states where fossil fuel companies have been held to account.
- A twenty–year gas extraction deal – In July, Eni announced the signing of a long-term agreement with US company Venture Global for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Under the contract, Eni will purchase 2 million tonnes per year (MTPA) for two decades from the CP2 LNG project in Louisiana. For Eni, this marks its first long-term LNG agreement for supply from the United States and, according to the company, represents “a key step in the expansion and diversification of its LNG portfolio,” with part of the volumes destined to “reinforce Europe’s energy diversification.” Analysts warn that the 20-year deal is risky: EU gas demand is falling and exposure to US politics and EU methane rules adds price and regulatory volatility, undercutting the agreement’s energy-security and climate rationale.
- Violent attacks on renewables – In July, around 50 masked individuals armed with pickaxes and knives stormed a wind farm construction site in Tuscany’s Mugello region, vandalising equipment and threatening workers. The assault, claimed by the group Siamo Montagna (We are mountain), forced contractors to suspend operations and has been described by analysts as an act of “eco-terrorism.” It follows a string of arson attacks against solar and wind projects in Sardinia in 2024, underscoring growing tensions between clean energy expansion and local opposition in parts of Italy. WWF Italy and WWF Tuscany strongly condemned the violence as “unacceptable,” stressing that the energy transition is a necessity and must proceed with the help of civil, inclusive dialogue. The project has long faced opposition from local committees, and after years of legal challenges, the Tuscan administrative court (TAR) in January 2025 rejected appeals against the plant.
Rudi’s picks - Highlights from upcoming events and top reads
Rudi’s picks - Highlights from upcoming events and top reads
- New CMCC study on marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean – Marine heatwaves in the region have grown more frequent and intense in recent decades. By analysing 123 major events over four decades (1982–2022), researchers found that weak wind conditions make such extremes 4–5 times more likely, with temperature anomalies up to +3°C. The findings shed light on the drivers of this trend and provide key insights for adaptation strategies.
- Reportage from Greece’s “perfect firestorm” – A powerful read from The Bulletin on what is fuelling Athens’ devastating fires.
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