The Italian Integrated Energy and Climate Plan [Piano Nazionale Integrato per l’Energia e il Clima, PNIEC] and the European Green Deal have set ambitious decarbonisation goals for the industrial sector. In order to achieve these goals, a paradigm shift is needed compared to the past, focused on technological innovation and digitalization and capable of promoting economic development, sustainability and social inclusion.
In this context, drawing upon its many years of experience in the field of energy efficiency in the industrial sector, RSE has set up a study aimed at analyzing the transition process of the sector from different points of view.
First of all, it analyzed the European context, starting from the launch of the Green Deal up to the Fit for 55 package, and the national economic context, identifying the main effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corporate strategies to deal with it.
The main tools for decarbonisation were then analyzed, with particular attention to the mechanism of the Emission Trading System, its evolution and the trend in the price of CO2 emissions – i.e. factors which can significantly influence corporate policies and strategies.
The analysis then focused on the impact of incentive policies on manufacturing companies. In particular, it was verified how, in a representative sample of 300 companies, the adoption of digital technologies included in the Piano Impresa 4.0 [Enterprise 4.0 Plan] led to an increase in the turnover growth rate greater than the sector average.
Finally, the foundations have been laid for a broader work, which consists in the analysis and reconstruction of the main supply chains of the manufacturing industry and the relationships that exist between the different players in the value chain. This study is fundamental to predict and quantify the effects of incentive policies on the national economy and the ability of the Italian production system to respond to the stress and the requests involved in the energy transition process.