Forthcoming policy developments

Following the Senate’s approval in May 2025 and final legislative approval by the Chamber of Deputies on 29 October 2025 (law 167/2025), Italy has introduced the mandatory Generational Impact Assessment (Valutazione di Impatto Generazionale – VIG).

This law integrates a mandatory assessment into the existing Regulatory Impact Analysis (AIR). It obliges legislators to evaluate the long-term environmental and social effects of new laws on future generations before approval, ensuring intergenerational equity as mandated by the 2022 Constitutional reform (Art. 9). It also establishes a permanent Observatory for Generational Impact at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to monitor compliance

Moreover, as part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” package, Italy is finalising its Social Climate Plan, which was subject to public consultation until March 2025 and submitted to the EU Commission in mid-2025. The plan outlines how Italy will use the Social Climate Fund (approx. €9.3 billion operational from 2026–2032) to mitigate the social impact of the new carbon market (ETS2) on vulnerable families and youth. It focuses on two pillars: funding structural investments in sustainable transport and energy efficiency for vulnerable households, and providing temporary direct income support.

Ongoing Debates

On 5 April 2024, several youth and civil society organisations signed the manifesto "Youth Peace and Security," inspired by the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 of 2015. The manifesto calls on the Italian government to set up a joint secretariat between institutions and civil society organisations, tasked with drafting a National Action Plan containing concrete objectives and measures to involve youth organisations in the definition of policies related to Resolution 2250, and allocating adequate financial resources for the implementation. The manifesto proposes a series of concrete actions aimed at encouraging the active participation of youth, promoting diversity and inclusion, integrating the principles of Resolution 2250 into the Italian legal and institutional framework, and ensuring a more sustainable and inclusive future, starting with the promotion of peace.

Following the publication of the ASviS 2025 Report (October 2025), a heated debate has emerged regarding the trade-off between sustainability and economic competitiveness. The report revealed Italy is backtracking on 6 out of 17 SDGs (including poverty and ecosystems). This has sparked a conflict between stakeholders demanding urgent “transformative” action (Civil Society, ASviS) and political sectors arguing that aggressive green transition policies harm Italian industry.