Climate shocks pose a threat to Italian economic growth, the IMF said on Thursday following its Article IV mission here, calling on Rome to show more ambition in its efforts to address the environmental crisis.
    It said "climate-related shocks, including extreme weather events" could "dampen growth and further constrain fiscal space.
    "Accelerating the transition to renewables, adapting to a changing climate, and investing in resilient energy infrastructure are essential to reduce extreme weather impacts and energy import dependence," it said.
    "Climate-related risks and energy security are macro-critical for Italy, given the reliance on agriculture, tourism, and foreign energy supply.
    "The 2024 National Energy and Climate Plan provides a strategic foundation but more ambitious action is needed to meet 2030 climate targets and improve energy security".
    Italy has suffered a series of devastating and frequently deadly extreme weather events in recent years and is especially exposed to the climate crisis.
    Extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis caused over 765,000 deaths worldwide between 1993 to 2022, including around 38,000 deaths in Italy, Germanwatch said in its 'Climate Risk Index 2025' report in February.
    The development, environment and human rights organization said Italy was the fifth-worst-affected country by these climate events in the period in question after Dominica, China, Honduras and Myanmar.
    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.

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