OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Italy 2013
The OECD Environmental Performance Review Programme provides independent assessments of countries’ progress in achieving their domestic and international environmental policy commitments, together with policy relevant recommendations. They are conducted to promote peer learning, to enhance countries’ accountability to each other and to the public, and to improve governments’ environmental performance, individually and collectively. The Reviews are supported by a broad range of economic and environmental data. Each cycle of the Environmental Performance Reviews covers all OECD member countries and selected partner countries. The most recent reviews include: Mexico (2013), Germany (2012) and Slovenia (2012).
This report is the third OECD review of Italy’s environmental performance. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on policies that promote more effective and efficient water management and provide better incentives to tackle climate change.
Executive summary
Italy’s economy, the sixth largest in the OECD, is highly dependent on imports of energy and raw materials. It is also diverse, with a more economically advanced, richer North and a less developed, poorer South. Regional differences and disparities have been reinforced by a major devolution of legislative and administrative responsibilities. Italy’s average annual growth between 2000 and 2007 was the lowest among OECD countries. From 2008, the economy was deeply affected by the global economic crisis. Economic policy has increasingly been driven by the need to promote growth while consolidating the public budget.