Environment
Latest news from Italy on the environment, climate, climate change and green issues.
Octopus to the rescue? How Italian scientists are battling invasive blue crabs
From a fishing trawler in the Adriatic, Italian scientists gently release thousands of tiny octopuses in the hope of fighting an invasive North American crab species that has devastated local fisheries.
Solar eclipse sparks scramble for protective glasses across Europe
The scramble for protective glasses has reached fever pitch across Europe ahead of Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse, as pharmacies, opticians and other shops struggle to keep them in stock.
The man cleaning Rome's walls, one graffiti tag at a time
28-year-old Valerio Tuveri became known on social media as "the guy who cleans Rome" after he began posting videos of himself cleaning graffiti from the Italian capital's walls.
‘Almost like gold’: Water debate rages on Italy’s Aeolian Islands
Without natural drinking water, residents of Italy's Aeolian Islands are mulling whether to build more desalination plants that will also cater to the large number of tourists, or continue bringing in water by ship.
How drones are helping predict Sicily's volcanic eruptions
Hovering over the volcano, a buzzing drone pauses in front of a laser beam on the crater's edge, as researchers test whether the devices can measure gases to predict eruptions.
MAP: The polluted Italian beaches to avoid this summer
While the vast majority of Italian beaches are clean, the latest data shows that there are dozens of spots swimmers should steer clear of.
Most beaches in Europe offer 'excellent' water quality, study says
The vast majority of Europe's beaches offer "excellent" water quality for swimming, the EU environment agency said on Tuesday ahead of the summer season, with coastal nations and inland Austria topping the list.
EU anti-waste law: New laptops sold in Europe must now use USB-C chargers
After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force.
Pollution exposure in Europe linked to mental health problems
Environmental pollution is linked to several mental health disorders in Europe, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned, arguing that enforcing legislation would result in Europeans being both less depressed and less anxious.
How to properly dispose of your Christmas tree in Italy
As the winter holidays draw to an end, you may be preparing to take down the Christmas tree and decorations in your Italian home. But how can you dispose of your ‘albero’ the right way?
'Unfair privilege': Flights in Europe up to 26 times cheaper than train routes
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train.
Record EU wildfires ‘burnt more than 1 million hectares in 2025’
Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares of land in European Union countries this year, a record since recording began in 2006, according to AFP analysis of official data.
Italian chemical plant executives convicted in 'historic' water pollution trial
Managers of a now-defunct chemical plant in northern Italy were handed jail terms of up to 17 years on Thursday for contaminating water used by hundreds of thousands of people with "forever chemicals".
REVEALED: Where in Europe has the cleanest and dirtiest swimming spots
Europe has thousands of incredible swimming spots around its beaches, lakes and rivers, but which countries have the cleanest and dirtiest waters?
Four Italian regions to introduce ban on old diesel cars from October
Strict limits on the circulation of older diesel cars are set to come into force in four northern Italian regions in October as part of contested plans to curb emissions and improve air quality.
Travellers from Europe banned from taking meat and dairy products into UK
The British government has introduced temporary restrictions on travellers from European countries from bringing meat and dairy produce – even in sandwiches – into the country.
Europe's great rivers hit by 'alarming' microplastic pollution
"Alarming" levels of microplastic have been found in major rivers across Europe according to scientists in 14 studies published simultaneously Monday.
'We're terrified of tap water': Families seek justice in Italy's 'forever chemicals' trial
Managers of a chemical plant accused of knowingly contaminating the water of hundreds of thousands of people are on trial in Italy's Veneto region in one of Europe's biggest environmental disaster lawsuits.
REVEALED: Do you live in one of Italy's most polluted cities?
A new report from environmental watchdog Legambiente has revealed the Italian cities with the worst levels of air pollution. Is yours on the list?
European rights court condemns Italy over toxic waste dumping by mafia
The European Court of Human Rights found on Thursday that Italy failed to deal with the burying and dumping of toxic waste by organised criminal groups in the southern Campania region, giving Rome two years to fix the situation.
Victory for mafia waste victims in Italy's 'Land of Fires'
The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday ruled that Italy failed to protect nearly three million people living in a region plagued by toxic waste dumped by the mafia, giving the government two years to fix the situation.
Milan to ban smoking outdoors with smokers facing steep fines if caught
Smoking outdoors will be almost entirely banned in Milan from January 1st, 2025 under efforts to improve air quality and clamp down on second-hand smoke, city authorities said.
EXPLAINED: Why the EU and China could be heading for a major trade war
EU countries gave a definitive green light on Friday to hefty additional tariffs on electric cars made in China, despite warnings that it will spark a damaging trade war with Beijing.