After its quick industrial growth, Italy took time to address its environmental problems. After improvements, Italy now ranks 84th in the world for ecological sustainability.[151] The total area protected by national parks, regional parks, and nature reserves covers about 11% of Italian territory,[152] and 12% of Italy's coastline is protected.[153]
Italy has been one of the world's leading producers of renewable energy, in 2010 ranking as the fourth largest provider of installed solar energy capacity[154] and sixth largest of wind power capacity.[155] Renewable energy provided approximately 37% Italy's energy consumption in 2020.[156]
The country operated nuclear reactors between 1963 and 1990 but, after the Chernobyl disaster and referendums, the nuclear programme was terminated, a decision overturned by the government in 2008, with plans to build up to four nuclear power plants. This was in turn struck down by a referendum following the Fukushima nuclear accident.[157]
Air pollution remains severe, especially in the industrialised north. Italy is the twelfth-largest carbon dioxide producer.[158] Extensive traffic and congestion in large cities continue to cause environmental and health issues, even if smog levels have decreased since the 1970s and 1980s, with smog becoming an increasingly rare phenomenon and levels of sulphur dioxide decreasing.[159]
Deforestation, illegal building, and poor land-management policies have led to significant erosion in Italy's mountainous regions, leading to ecological disasters such as the 1963 Vajont Dam flood, the 1998 Sarno,[160] and the 2009 Messina mudslides.