Italy is experiencing severe and widespread impacts of climate change, including increased heatwaves, droughts, and more frequent flooding, with Venice particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. A stark illustration was the record 48.8°C in Sicily in August 2021, following earlier heavy rains, signaling a trend towards "tropicalisation" and posing growing health risks.

Despite these challenges, Italy has taken proactive steps, becoming the first country to make climate change education compulsory and constitutionally enshrining environmental protection for "future generations." The nation is also committed to international efforts, being part of the Paris Agreement, the EU Adaptation Strategy, and a bilateral treaty with France focused on sustainable development and protecting the Mediterranean and Alpine regions.

As the third-largest energy consumer in the EU and heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels, Italy is working to transition to a more sustainable model by boosting renewable energy. While transportation remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the country has successfully reduced its overall industrial emissions since 2008.