Among Italy’s 20 regions, Trentino-Alto Adige has a bittersweet profile. While the region is considered a frontrunner in renewable energy and industrial emissions, the picture is far less promising when it comes to transport and agricultural emissions.

Even its per capita greenhouse gas emissions — 7.02 tons of CO₂ equivalent per person — slightly exceed the national average of 6.96. But the region’s greatest weakness appears to lie in its limited capacity to leverage natural systems for carbon absorption. In this category, Trentino-Alto Adige records 35 tons of CO₂ absorbed per km², ranking just 16th out of 20. By contrast, Sicily and Calabria show negative absorption values, indicating that their natural systems are net emitters—typically due to forest fires.

The weak points are especially evident in agriculture and transport. Trentino-Alto Adige falls below the national average for agricultural emissions per capita (0.71 tons/person), fertilizer use, and livestock numbers. Transport-wise, it reports the second-highest per capita emissions in Italy (3.2 tons/person), despite lower-than-average car ownership and public transport use. On a brighter note, electric vehicles account for 5.2% of new car registrations in the region.

Still, Trentino-Alto Adige performs well on clean energy: it ranks sixth nationally for overall energy consumption per capita and second for renewable energy share. It also leads the country with 33 renewable energy communities.

As a mountainous region, Trentino-Alto Adige faces unique challenges that others may not. However, certain factors—like low urbanization or potential for carbon sequestration in agriculture—could work in its favor. The region’s SproSS strategy represents a promising attempt to manage these complexities through sustainable, integrated planning.

Cover image: Young seedlings sprouting from rich soil, bathed in natural light. Image from onehundredseventyfive on Pixabay

This article is part of the project “Quiz Ambientali per un Trentino Più Verde!” carried out by Econtrovertia APS and sponsored by Fondazione Cassa Rurale di Trento (Notice of Approval of December 20, 2024).