ECCO think tank
@eccoclimate
ECCO is an independent Italian, non-profit think tank dedicated to climate change and the energy transition. Join our mission to accelerate climate action in Italy, the Mediterranean, Europe and around the world #ECCOThinkTank.
🗞️PRESS RELEASE The European Commission unveils the ETS revision & the Electrification Action Plan. Due to be presented today, these initiatives are part of a strategy to reduce fossil fuel dependence, strengthen energy security & boost competitiveness. Read our press release👇 tinyurl.com/z3wkmupx
🤝Against an evolving geopolitical backdrop, how can Italy & North African countries build partnerships that deliver mutual benefits while accelerating the transition? Today, ECCO & RES4Africa Foundation brought together representatives for a closed-door roundtable to discuss this exact question.
🌱We would like to welcome Matteo Frisoni, who is joining ECCO as a Policy Advisor! Matteo is a PhD student in political economy at King’s College London. At ECCO, he will be working on the economic and financial architecture of the EU and Italy to support long-term investments for the transition.
📆On Monday, we organised a session with @i4ce.bsky.social on the future of #NECPs and Europe’s strategic autonomy & competitiveness. Speakers explored how the revision of the Governance Regulation on the Energy Union & Climate Action is a key opportunity to turn NECPs into strong investment plans.
🌎Algeria and energy security in the Mediterranean In the latest Energy Security Focus by ISPI, Giulia Signorelli and Lorena Stella Martini examine Algeria’s #energytransition and its evolving relationship with Italy and Europe in the current geopolitical context. Learn more👇 tinyurl.com/mtps985k
🌎Last week, ECCO took part in Climax III in Turin. Amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the discussion explored links between conflict, energy markets & economic vulnerability. In this context, accelerating the energy transition is increasingly a matter of resilience, competitiveness & autonomy.
🌍Last week, ECCO took part in the Energy Future Conference in Algiers. In particular, we presented the study 'Seizing the Opportunities of the Energy Transition: How Algeria Can Reinforce Its Energy Partnership with Europe', highlighting prospects for energy cooperation between Algeria & Europe.
This afternoon we hosted the event ‘Making SMEs part of the energy transition: how to ensure fair taxation of electricity’ at #EUSEW2026. 🙌A big thank you to all speakers for their contributions to this important discussion and to everyone who joined us! 🔎Watch the event here: tinyurl.com/4m6kpb85
🌍 On Tuesday, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica launched the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative (T-MED). T-MED confirms the growing recognition of the #Mediterranean as a strategic space for energy security, industrial development and clean energy cooperation.
📆Join us at the European Sustainable Energy Week There’s still time to register for our event 'Making SMEs part of the energy transition: how to ensure fair taxation of electricity?' 🕐11 June 2026, 14:00 📍European Commission, Brussels and online Learn more: tinyurl.com/4xjaavfp
📌UN: resolution adopted on Court’s advisory opinion The UN General Assembly has adopted the resolution following up on the ICJ’s advisory opinion on states’ climate obligations. ➡️Italy is among the co-sponsors, reaffirming its support for the process and its commitment to environmental protection.
🗣️Yesterday in Brussels, the event “Securing CH₄nge – Turning Policy into Action” took place. Organised in the context of the European Civil Society Observatory on Methane's work, it brought together institutional actors, scientists & civil society to discuss delivery challenges & opportunities 👇
➡️This year, MATTCCh returned to Palermo’s Earth Day Mediterranean Festival for the workshop 'Delivering Mediterranean Climate Action for COP31 and Beyond.' Among its objectives, it examined what successful climate action looks like, while identifying opportunities for cooperation ahead of COP31.
‼️How much coal does Italy use? The debate over extending Italy's #coal phase-out to 2038 assumes it will lower energy prices. Yet the figures show that Italy's coal share is minimal & keeping the plants running is costly. The key issue remains gas dependence, which continues to drive prices.
❗Is it possible to replace Qatari gas without other gas? Yes. Damage to infrastructure in #Qatar is reducing LNG exports to global markets, making energy security a priority. Our analysis shows that Italy could phase-out Qatari LNG in a year through renewables, energy efficiency & electrification.
❗Comment on the European Council of 19 March 👇 The energy transition, and in particular the development of renewables, remains the most effective strategy for Europe’s strategic autonomy. This is the main takeaway from the conclusions of the #EuropeanCouncil meeting held on 19 March in Brussels.
🔎How are ETS revenues used – if at all? In Italy, #ETS auctions generated around €18 billion between 2012 and 2014, yet only 9% was spent on climate policies and the transition. This means one of Europe’s key financial levers for the energy transition remains largely unused.
📊Gas price surge drives up bills The higher the share of electricity generated from gas, the greater the exposure of energy bills to geopolitical shocks. ECCO’s new report analyses the impact of the Hormuz crisis, showing how dependence on fossil fuels exposes Europe to geopolitical volatility.
📃Press release in response to Giorgia Meloni's speech in Parliament Following Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s speech in Parliament yesterday on the energy crisis linked to the war in Iran, we raised concerns about the proposal to suspend #ETS. 👉 Read the full press release: tinyurl.com/44p9v6un
🔎The transition away from fossil fuels Over 80 countries backed a roadmap to transition away from #fossilfuels at COP30. Ahead of the Santa Marta Conference, research by ECCO, @energy.iisd.org, @e3g.bsky.social, @sefiaorg.bsky.social and @obsclima.bsky.social outlines 5️⃣ tests a roadmap must pass👇
📌What is China’s role in the Italian & European energy transition? Italy’s energy transition inevitably involves China, especially in the field of clean-tech. In this new study, we analyse the economic links between Italy and #China, proposing five levers to strengthen competitiveness & autonomy👇
📄Over 130 organisations, including ECCO, call the European Parliament & Member States to stop sustainable funds from funding new fossil fuel projects. The Commission’s proposal limits exclusions to 2️⃣ categories, risking the framework’s strength & alignment with climate goals. Read the open letter👇
🌍Green Deal under attack The European #GreenDeal has become a point of contention with the US, which has sought to curb Europe's energy & climate ambitions. The stakes are clear: weakening the Green Deal limits Europe’s ability to chart its own industrial & energy course and tackle key challenges.
Three days ago, Beatrice Moro joined the first Friends of IDA roundtable in Rome, launched by the World Bank with Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. Focus: the role of #IDA in today’s development finance architecture and how Italy-World Bank cooperation can deliver concrete results.
Today at the #MunichSecurityConference, 70+ Heads of State and Government, 140 ministers and 40 international organisations gather to discuss Europe’s security future. Amid geopolitical fragmentation and rising uncertainty, one issue stands out: integration⬇️
🌍 Connecting grids, securing the future Yesterday, ECCO's Gabriele Cassetti spoke at the #TEASIMED2 closing conference in Brussels. The project explores the feasibility of a Mediterranean power pool, with deeper electricity integration having the potential to boost efficiency & energy security.
📆Today, in Antwerp, European leaders meet to discuss competitiveness, the single market & growth. Priorities also include regulatory simplification. But simplification in the name of competitiveness risks eroding the #GreenDeal & increasing uncertainty. ECCO’s Head of Italy-EU Policy said:
#WEBINAR 📆12 February, 8:30-10:30 How can EU energy diplomacy in the #Mediterranean deliver energy security, clean-tech investment and jobs while supporting electrification? Find out in our webinar “Boosting EU Energy Diplomacy in the Mediterranean”, co-organised with @strategicperspectives.eu👇