Forest Report 2023

How does Italy position itself in relation to attaining the objectives outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and UN Agenda Target 11 aiming for more sustainable and inclusive cities? With the Report Foreste 2023, Legambiente attempted to take stock of the situation in the country and reported as yet unsatisfactory results in this area as well.

The targets are well known: the European Green Deal set climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, and an intermediate climate target of a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. One of the ways to achieve these ambitious goals is to focus on forests and urban greenery. Forest ecosystems are the main terrestrial natural carbon sinks and play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change, and in order to continue performing this important function, they must remain efficient and healthy.

The report states that forests have grown in recent years, covering 36.7% of Italian territory, while green areas in cities are not expanding. In 2022, out of 105 provincial capitals in Italy monitored by Legambiente as part of Ecosistema Urbano, the average is only 24 trees/100 inhabitants with: 43 cities with 20 or more trees/100 inhabitants, 18 cities with less than 10 trees/100 inhabitants and 10 cities with 5 or less trees/100 inhabitants. Modena (117 trees/100 inhabitant), Cremona (99 trees/100 inhabitant) and Trieste (96 trees/100 inhabitant) stand out as having the strongest commitment to green spaces. The numbers of trees planted to date are insufficient to meet the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which proposes planting 3 billion trees by 2030. With regard to per-capita green space, Legambiente, based on Istat 2021 data, calculated that out of 105 provincial capitals surveyed, the average green space per capita in Italy is around 53.7 square metres.

There are also delays in the planning and sustainable management of forests, in the enhancement of forestry supply chains and made-in-Italy production, in the prevention of fires and the fight against deforestation and unlawful practices in the sector, in the development of green spaces and in the implementation of the measures indicated by Law No. 10/2013, which is 10 years old and provides that all municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants should keep a register of trees, plant a new tree for every child born or adopted and prepare a green balance sheet at the end of their term of office.

The good news, however, is that Italy has the first National Wood Cluster, launched in July 2023 by MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry).