Laws and regulations

Local, National, Regional Regulations and Initiatives

• Since 2023, environmental protection has become part of the principles of the Italian constitution because Article 9 was expanded.

• Legislative Decree n. 152/2006: Known as the Environmental Code, this decree establishes rules on environmental protection, waste management, remediation of contaminated sites, and water and air protection. https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/dettaglio/codici/materiaAmbientale

• The Region of Emilia Romagna and the Municipality of Bologna put in place plans and measures to control air quality and air pollution.

National Legislation

The national legislation, which implements European Directive 2008/50/EC, assigns the regions the task of adopting regional air quality plans, with the main objective, in order to protect collective health, of identifying concrete actions to comply with air quality standards and to reduce polluting emissions in regional territories.

On 6 February 2024, the new Integrated Air Plan (Pair 2030) came into force. The Plan’s strategy is Regional o achieve compliance with the limit values of the most critical pollutants set by the regulations as soon as possible, by acting simultaneously on the main emitting sectors with the following principles:

1. reducing emissions of both primary pollutants and precursors of secondary pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SO2, NH3, VOCs);
2. acting both on a local scale and on the extended spatial scale of the Po basin with intervention by the ministries on the sources of national competence;
3. prevent acute pollution episodes in order to reduce local peaks.

For more information click here.

The Municipality of Bologna

joined the Covenant of Mayors for Energy and Climate in April 2019 and approved the Energy and Climate Action Plan (Paesc) in April 2021. For further information click here.

Incentives for Renewable Energy

The Italian government offers various incentives for the installation of renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, which are also applicable to Bologna. These include tax deductions and grants.

Standards for Building Energy Efficiency

The Minimum Requirements Decree (D.M. June 26, 2015) sets criteria for the design and renovation of buildings to improve their energy efficiency. This includes the obligation to use insulating materials and high-efficiency systems.

https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2015/07/15/15A05198/sg