EU slams Italy’s Energy and Climate Plan: unrealistic reforms, vague focus, and much confusion

Brussels – Unclear information on nuclear energy policy, no in-depth study on the impact of climate change on water supply and drought mitigation risk relevant for energy production, and a clean mobility plan that is as ambitious as it is challenging to implement: This is Italy’s sustainability reality, reflected in the concerns that the European Commission raises in the perplexities raised by the European Commission and the criticisms from Brussels accusing the government primarily of not reaching the common targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

If not a rejection, the opinion on the National Energy and Climate Plan, at the very least, sounds like making Italy “resit the exam in September.” Italy should reduce CO2 emissions by 49 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 emission levels, thus failing to meet the 55 percent threshold. Also, by 2040, Italy’s performance index is expected to be -60 percent, while the EU agenda would like 90 percent reductions. On a general level, therefore, Italy is struggling, lagging, and failing to meet its EU commitments.

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Generally, there is no shortage of critical issues, starting with promises that are considered unrealistic. This seems to be the case for the road mobility revolution promised by the government. “the plan relies on a steep take-up of electric vehicles (4.3 M Battery-electric vehicles plus 2.2 Million Plug-in hybrid by 2030) and a six-fold increase in the use of biofuels by 2030, which is hardly compatible with the existing fleet, where blends are limited to low biofuels concentration. ,” according to the assessments of the Brussels technicians.

Even on next-generation nuclear power, a flagship issue for the current ruling majority, doubts and concerns remain. The EU executive takes note of the plan for the possible deployment of 8 GigaWatts of nuclear capacity by 2050 in small and medium-sized modular reactors (SMR/AMR) and microreactors. However,  the “final plan does not describe a predictable and simplified regulatory framework for permitting procedures for manufacturing, nor how access to national funding will be simplified.” Again, therefore, it isn’t easy to understand how what is announced will be realized.

In the chapter on energy efficiency, Italy has set out comprehensive policies and measures to achieve national contributions  but “has not quantified the expected energy savings and the contribution for each of the reported energy efficiency measures.” The result is that the country has only “partially responded” to the EU recommendations.

Similarly, Italy’s National Energy and Climate plan addresses only “partially” the consequences of climate change on future water availability and its implications on the energy sector. The EU executive notes that Italy’s plan “lacks a comprehensive, forward-looking assessment of future water demand and supply at the national scale, aligned with expected climate warming trajectories.” Moreover, the Italian strategy “does not adequately address possible cross-sectoral conflicts, such as those with energy production, agriculture, and residential water use, in the face of growing water scarcity.”