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Low-carbon mobility in Italy

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Milan, Thursday 27th September 2018

A new study, coordinated by Enel Foundation, the European Climate FoundationTransport & Environment, reveals Italy could boost its economy and create close to 20 thousand net additional jobs in 2030 through the transition from a mobility system fuelled with imported oil and diesel to one driven by domestically produced renewable energy.

The transition to low and zero carbon vehicles in Italy, according to the researchers, will be instrumental to increasing Italy’s GDP of €2.4 billion in 2030 (compared to the reference scenario) while improving air quality. Unlocking for Italy the possibility to minimize its exposure to oil price volatility, maximising the market for its solar and wind energy, will also consequently increase its national energy security and positively impact public health.  

The technical analysis team composed by Cambridge EconometricsElement Energy and CERTeT research centre at Bocconi University worked in coordination with the European Climate Foundation, Transport & Environment and Enel Foundation.

The research “Fuelling Italy’s Future: How the transition to low-carbon mobility strengthens the economy”, was released during the 2nd National Conference on electric mobility and involved a wide consortium of stakeholders in the Italian mobility and energy sector who provided advice on the analysis among which the newly formed organization MOTUS-E.

The group of experts concludes in the research report that it is essential to accompany and manage the transition towards low-carbon mobility with well-targeted and forward-looking policy interventions. Those are crucial to fully exploit all the opportunities for sustainable growth provided by the transition.

Carlo Papa, Director of Enel Foundation highlighted that “the cooperation with leading scholars, outstanding transformational leaders and enlightened civil society representatives during this research has been an enriching experience”. In his view, a “wider choice of e-vehicles, forward thinking policy makers and public officials, and availability of innovative infrastructures will demonstrate that electricity represents the energy vector of the future in the mobility space – as well as in others – enabling sustainability, resilience and economic development.”

For Pete Harrison, Executive Director for EU Policy at the  European Climate Foundation, the research underlines that “modernising Italy’s mobility system can bring multiple economic benefits: lower costs for oil imports; lower hospital costs for treating illnesses caused by air pollution; even lower costs for cleaning Italy’s magnificent architecture.”

Commenting Italy’s potential for powering transport sector with locally produced renewable energy, Veronica Aneris, National Expert for Italy within Transport & Environment, stated that “the more oil imports are reduced and replaced by solar and wind energy produced in Italy, the greater the benefits for the national economy, the society, the environment and health”. In this regard, she added, “the negotiations taking place in the coming days in Brussels are crucial and policy makers have a unique opportunity to improve the quality of life for all."    

Fuelling Italy's Future - How the transition to low-carbon mobility strengthens the economy

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