The economic growth and decarbonization could proceed together Italian research has yielded significant results in its neighboring industry sector, but the country continues to invest less than the rest of the European Union in the ecological transition. Fabio Fava, president of the International Technical Committee of Ecocomond, highlighted how industrial opportunities can be exploited if conditions for them are created. European and American economies have grown while emissions have decreased, demonstrating that economic growth and decarbonization can proceed together. Evidence confirms Italy's leadership in recycling and recovering materials, but Italy faces greater difficulties in transforming this prime position into a stable industrial advantage.

Italy invests less in circular economy than the EU average and struggles to scale up developed technologies from laboratories. This gap is one of the main obstacles to ecological transition.

From eco-design to regenerative biorefinery, from chemical recycling to critical metal recovery, industrial opportunities exist. The issue is creating conditions for exploiting them. Transformation should proceed on two fronts: reducing pressure exerted by production activities and urban consumption on the environment, while simultaneously restoring already compromised ecosystems.

Evidence shows that economic growth and carbon reduction can go hand-in-hand: over the past decades, European and American economies have grown while emissions have decreased.

The country is among Europe's most advanced countries in recycling and material recovery, but it faces greater challenges in transforming this lead into a stable industrial advantage. Fabio Fava highlighted that industrial opportunities can be exploited if conditions for them are created. Italy is among the European countries with the highest efficiency in resource use and waste recycling, but this leading position has yet to translate into a solid industrial advantage of equal magnitude. Investing in scientific research and innovative technologies can bring about economic growth and progressive decarbonization.