Despite a sluggish economy, Italy compares favorably with its neighbors in its support of green policies and businesses, Italy’s Greenreport writes.
Italy imports and consumes less material. In Germany consumption decreased by 6 % and productivity increased by 21%. in Italy there are the most visible progress of the entire European Union: the absolute consumption decreased by 23 % , resource productivity grew by 35 % . Italy is the European leader in the recycling industry , in particular for the recycling of ferrous metals, plastics , textiles . Also on total waste , excluding only those mineral and vegetable , 37 million tons were sent for recycling, making Italy the second European country in recyclingjust behind Germany and well above countries such as France or Great Britain .
In the field of solid waste management, Italy is not doing so well.
But on the energy front , in 2012 the gross primary energy consumption fell to the equivalent of 178 million tons of oil. The consumption of natural gas and oil each covering about 35% of consumption comes from renewable sources , while 15% of energy needs. In 2013 continues the descent of national energy consumption and the data available so far confirm another contraction equal to 2-3 % of electricity consumption and fuel . This is the direct effect of the strong growth of renewable energy , resulting in a corresponding reduction in oil and gas , and the increased energy efficiency of the processes of production and consumption.
What is striking in Italy is the overlap of two phenomena. The first is the product of urban policies that have supported and encouraged housing developments , unknown to mass tourism , expansion of industrial areas ; second , unauthorized building , is a national phenomenon all Italian . According to the Cresme between 1982 and 2012 have been carried over 1,300,000 illegal homes ( approximately 15-20 % of the building ) . But as for organic farming in Italy on 8 , 5 % of agricultural land has been converted or in conversion of the total utilized agricultural area against 6, 1 % of those Germans.
Mobility . For the first time in 2013, the rate of car ownership (ie cars per inhabitant) is not growing, even though Italy remains the top in Europe with 610 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to 525 483 in Germany or the European average. Positive signals come instead from annual sales of bicycles and the success of bike sharing and car sharing. In Italy in 2012 were sold 1,606,000 bikes against 3.966 million in Germany. But as for the bike sharing programs are active in 102 Italian cities against 47 of the German ones .
What we need is a green new deal for the Development of a new economy based on resource savings , efficiency , research and innovation , social cohesion , acceptance , enhancement of quality agriculture . The next European Parliament will have to face problems no longer essential and draw a new profile in Europe , overcoming the ideological choices of austerity , reviewing the same setting of the EU budget and building conditions to ensure green construction.
