Italy is a superpower in the circular economy and has the highest percentage of recycling out of all waste: 79%, double the European average. Not only that: 432 Italian companies invested in green products and technologies in the period 2015-2019 and Italy is the largest renewable energy operator in the world. Furthermore, Italian agriculture is the best in Europe for sustainability and quality productions and our country is the leading European exporter of bicycles (in 2019 we exported 1,8 million). All this information is contained in the dossier "Italy of 10 selfies 2021", created by the Symbola Foundation in collaboration with Unioncamere and Assocamerestero. The report arrives at results similar to those of the Cen – Circular Economy Network on the same theme, which gave Italy an excellent position in the circular economy sector within the European panorama.
“Italy can be an outpost of that stronger and at the same time more sustainable economy on a human scale – says Ermete Realacci, president of the Symbola Foundation – Italy is often able to see its own ills, without facing them, but he is incapable of reading his own strengths, as President Draghi recalled. Yet there is nothing wrong with Italy that cannot be corrected with what is right in Italy. These ten selfies demonstrate some of the talent we can bring to bear."
Below, in summary, the "10 photographs":
- Italy has the highest recycling percentage out of all waste: 79%, after the European average, and for this reason it saves 63 million tons equivalent of tons of CO2.
- The largest operator in the world in renewables is Italian. This is Enel, the most capitalized private electricity company on the European stock exchanges.
- 432.000 companies invested in green products and technologies in the period 2015-2019, they are the ones that innovate the most, export the most, produce the most jobs.
- According to a study by the University of Oxford, Italy is second in the world in its ability to export technologically advanced green products, and potentially the first.
- Italy is first in Europe for the number of design companies with 15.5% of the total.
- We are the world leader in trade balance in the nautical sector.
- In wood-furniture, Italy is first in Europe in the circular economy with 93% of chipboard panels made from recycled wood and third in the world for the balance of trade in furniture.
- In agriculture we are ahead in terms of sustainability with emissions (30 million tons of Co2) clearly lower than France (76 million) and Germany (66 million).
- Confirmed a leadership role in Europe for pharmaceutical production, with 32.2 million euros, immediately after Germany with 32.9 million.
- First European bicycle exporter with 1.779.300 bicycles sold abroad. First in the world in the production of saddles with 53.9% of the world total.
