2023 Marks a Step Forward in Decarbonization: Italy Reduces Emissions and Focuses on Renewables

The latest ENEA analysis highlights that during 2023, the Italian energy landscape experienced significant changes, marked by a notable decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, which stood at 8%.

At the same time, there was a reduction, albeit slightly less than in the Eurozone, in primary energy consumption, which fell by 2.5% compared to the EU average of 3%.

Decarbonization: Coal -30%, Oil -2%

According to ENEA's analysis of the national energy system's performance in 2023, there is a trend towards an increase in energy produced from renewable sources, particularly wind and solar power, which together met 17.5% of the annual demand, marking a historic record. This increase is the result of growing installed capacity, which emerges as a key element in the transition towards greater energy sustainability.

Francesco Gracceva, ENEA researcher and coordinator of the study, emphasized the importance of this trend, recognizing it as the fundamental, if not the only, driving force behind the ongoing decarbonization process.

The reduction in energy consumption reflects a decreased dependence on fossil fuels, with a significant reduction in the use of gas (-10%), coal (-30%), and oil (-2%). This decline was only partially offset by an increase in energy production from renewable sources (+13%) and a rise in electricity imports, which reached a historic peak (+19%).

Decarbonization: Maintaining a 5% Annual Emission Reduction Remains Challenging

Despite the positive decarbonization trends, Gracceva warns that it remains challenging to maintain the necessary emission reduction rate of about 5% for year to meet the decarbonization targets set for 2030.

The analysis highlights a global increase of 25% in public spending on energy research between 2019 and 2022, mainly focused on enabling technologies, with a significant rise in investments in energy efficiency, which represent almost a quarter of total public spending on energy research.

However, such an increase did not occur in Italy, where public spending on energy research grew more modestly (+0.6%), with limited increases in the hydrogen (+160%) and nuclear (+40%) sectors. There was a notable slowdown in investments in the energy efficiency sector, which recorded a 12% decline.