The Italian environmental environment between perception, disillusion and desire for change: what the SWG research is presented on 3 June 2025 in the Venice Climate Week.
From 3 to 8 June 2025, Venice was the beating heart of a worldwide dialogue about the climatic crisis. The first edition of the Venice Climate Weekconceived by Riccardo Luna with the Future Food Instituteis a crossroads of science, politics, art and active citizenship. In this context SWG presented the full report of the perception of the environment in our country.
SWG report: A careful but uncertain Italy
The detection, performed on a representative sample between 20 and 23 May 2025, reveals a population that is said to be an environmental activist in almost one in almost two cases, but which is distributed deep into the ways and priorities. Only 9% of Italians call themselves militant environmental activist, while 33% sympathizes without committing themselves. Another 33% exhibit a warm adhesion and 16% spend a negative judgment, given it an ideological or not very concrete phenomenon.
In short, Environmental certificate in Italy exists, but is fragmentedOften seen more as an individual lifestyle than as a collective struggle. This data is also reflected in the vision of youth movements for the climate: although the role of school and young people is considered essential, trust has fallen. To weigh, the loss of media centrality, the internal fragmentation and the absence of tangible results are.
Pope Leo XIV: uncertain inheritance of the Lauudato Yes
One of the most interesting passages of the research concerns the perception of the new pope, Pope Leo XIV, About environmental gains. After the exceptional opening of the theme made by Pope Francis with the encyclical Lauudato YesMany wonder if and how this inheritance will be carried out.
The reactions reveal a strong uncertainty: only 35% believe that the new pope will continue on the traced road, while 30% think it will take care of it. 11% hope in a new approach and 24% say they have no opinion about this issue. A sign that the moral authority of the church in the environmental theme is still strong, but is waiting for new confirmations.
The Meloni government also polarizes the environment
Most Italians (46%) admit that they do not know how to indicate which government did best. A fact that emphasizes how much the theme of the environment has been marginal so far or poorly communicated In national politics.
The current government led by Giorgia Meloni is the most polarizing.
In fact, for the question: “Which government has dealt with the most and better than the environment”10% indicates the Meloni government (2022 – today) as the best; 26% of the anti-enirmilirementalists indicate the worst, while almost 1 Italian of 2 (46%) responds “I wouldn’t know”.
A correct transition, not just fast
The central knot that emerges from the survey is the request for a correct transition: no phases in forced phases, but a gradual, including and sustainable process also at a social level. 48% of the Italians raise gradually to prevent socio-economic imbalances, 29% ask for more accessibility to green technologies and products, and 28% underlined the importance of subsidies for the most vulnerable ties.
There is therefore realization that the climate change It is not only a technical question, but also a challenge of fairness and social cohesion. 69% of the respondents believe that economic development and sustainability can co -exist, but only if properly regulated and arranged with transparency.
In particular, according to what is being detected by the SWG research, for one “Right transition”The Italians ask:
- A gradual transition to prevent socio-economic imbalances (48%))
- Larger accessibility for green technologies and services and products (29%))
- Support the income of the most vulnerable families with subsidies (28%))
Instead, one of the most important obstacles for the ecological transition arises:
- Resistance of the lobbies of the fossil sectors of the very energy intensity (40%))
- The economic costs received by families and companies (31%))
- Bureaucracy and regulatory complexity of the EU (27%))