Climate · emissions beyond borders
Italy cut its emissions at home by 24 to 27 percent, and abroad by 8 to 13 percent.
Emissions from Italian consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Italy. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are falling too, but more slowly. Climate targets don't count them.
- The footprint of Italy is 42–45 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 46–49 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 43 percent in 2010.
- Official emissions fell by 22 percent between 2010 and 2022; the footprint only by 18–19 percent.
- Per person, Italy causes 9.1 tonnes, more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 16 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint fell by 25 percent, faster than in most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it fell by 3 percent, slower than in most EU countries.
- Outside Italy, most emissions for Italian consumption are released in China, Russia and Germany.
- Italy imports more emissions than it exports: 167–171 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 36 percent (real); the emissions for it fell by 6 percent.
- Satellites see about as much methane over Italy as the country reports (2023).
In short
Emissions caused by Italian consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Italian territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 22 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint fell by 18–19 percent over the same years. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Italy compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Italy causes 9.1 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 16 of 27.
Checked from space
Satellites measure how much methane hangs in the air. From that, scientists can work back to how much a country emits. That puts an independent measurement next to the official figures.
Where the emissions occur
For Italian consumption, most emissions abroad occur in China, followed by Russia, Germany and India. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Italy emits for
In 2022, 104–119 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Italy for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 275–286 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Italian consumption. That makes Italy a net importer of emissions: 167–171 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Italy than the other way round.
How we calculate
A footprint follows every euro that households, government and companies spend on final products back through the supply chain, to the country where the emissions occur. So-called input-output models do this, built on trade statistics and emission inventories from dozens of countries.