Competitive and sustainable decarbonisation is needed

It is more difficult to find common trajectories between energy producers and consumers, but the emphasis (and almost the 'call') on the need for a systemic and programmatic industrial policy framework provides us with the key to a renewed industrial policy pact based on competitive and sustainable decarbonisation.

The Italian paper industry, which employs 19,000 people and generates EUR 8.3 billion in turnover (part of a larger supply chain that includes converting and machinery manufacturers and has a turnover of around EUR 30 billion with 160,000 employees) is in serious difficulty due to the highest energy costs in Europe. Like the whole country.

Paper plants, energy-hungry by nature, slow down and stop while the country loses competitiveness.

In the first seven months of 2025, paper production fell by 2.5% and turnover by -3.1%. The share of exports in production fell to 36%, back to 2023 levels, while imports accounted for more than half of national consumption (51%). In such a context, it is urgent to address three issues that are crucial for competitiveness: the gas price differential, energy release and ETS offsets.

In the wake of the Clean Industrial Deal, the sector has outlined a plan for the competitiveness and decarbonisation of the Italian paper industry, with a mix of concrete measures to turn decarbonisation into a growth engine for one of the strategic and circular supply chains of the Made in Italy.

It is not enough to support the production of biomethane - at the moment the only real possibility of decarbonisation for energy-intensive sectors - but its use in certain sectors must be addressed. To which must be added the valorisation of biomass for the decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors in connection with the National Forestry Strategy.

Regarding electrification (apart from infrastructure), it must be considered that the cost of electricity in Italy today is too high and makes the substitution of gas for thermal needs unaffordable.

Undoubtedly, decarbonisation and maintaining the competitiveness of Italian companies lies in high-efficiency cogeneration, which is one of the highest expressions of energy efficiency.

What is needed is an effective industrial policy for investments by companies in innovations related to the ecological transition with the increase of circularity (including waste from recycling) - in analogy to what is already envisaged by Industry 4.0 - including the incentives of the Transition 5.0 Plan, simplifying access procedures.

Not forgetting sustainable nuclear power and the DDL launched by the government.

In short, we need to (continue to) do what Nicola Monti has highlighted as necessary, namely a systemic and programmatic industrial policy approach that accelerates the development of existing technologies, builds the foundations for the development of emerging technologies, and exploits opportunities for the development of technology partnerships in the European sphere, while containing energy costs.

The President of Assocarta