Climate crisis 'cost Italy 284 euro per resident in 2023'

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 20 - The effects of the climate crisis cost Italy 284 euro per resident in 2023, five times that of 2015 and the highest level in the EU, according to a report presented at a conference hosted by The European House Ambrosetti think tank on Saturday.
    The study said that the level of water stress was so high in Italy that only Belgium, Spain and Greece were worst off in Europe.
    It said agriculture was the sector hit hardest, with 12 regions suffering high levels of water stress, especially Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Puglia.
    It said the greatest climate-related economic damage was caused by flooding (44% of the total), storms (34%) and heatwaves (14%).
    The report said, among other things, this had led to a "drastic reduction in honey production", which was down 70% nel 2023.
    Pear yields were down 63%, cheery production fell 60%, olive oil output dropped 27% and wine and tomato production fell 12%.
    The report, presented at a conference entitled Water Community Value for Italy ('Community Valore Acqua Per l'Italia), said Italian hydroelectric energy production was at risk too.
    It said the drop in hydroelectric output would double if global warming reaches 2°C more than pre-industrial levels.
    "We are experiencing a particularly delicate situation, especially in our country," said The European House Ambrosetti CEO Valerio De Molli.
    He added that Italy was in danger of having "the highest thermal anomaly in history" this year with temperatures 1.75° above average.
    The report said the climate crisis cost Spain 221 euro per inhabitant, Hungary 214 euro, while the EU average was 116 euros.
    Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
    Although there are many sources of the greenhouse gases that are causing global heating, the main driver is the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, sales of which generate huge profits for the world's energy giants. (ANSA).