Biogas Italy: YouTrend research confirms awareness and support for biogas in Italy as the sector looks ahead to European challenges.

Biogas Italy, the annual event promoted by the CIB-Consorzio Italiano Biogas, concluded today in Milan.

At the opening, CIB Vice-President Angelo Baronchelli, founder of the AB Group, said: ‘The relationship between agriculture and industry is increasingly strategic to face the challenges of the ecological transition. The year ahead of us will be intense and decisive: we have to build the plants and fulfil the commitments set out in the PNRR. In recent years, time has not always been on our side, but we have worked hard to leave no plant behind. At the same time, we expect that in the year that separates us from the end of the PNRR, the regulatory framework will be put in place with the appropriate tools to accompany the sector beyond 2026. The certainty of the rules is essential to ensure that entrepreneurs can invest with confidence, contributing to the growth of a strategic sector for the country.’

The focus of the second day of work was the presentation of the survey conducted by the CIB in collaboration with YouTrend on the perception of the sector and the level of knowledge and trust in the biogas and biomethane supply chain in the territories. The data illustrated by Lorenzo Pregliasco (YouTrend) show a positive orientation among the interviewees: about 70% have heard of it, a sign that the topic has now fully entered the public debate. There are now new challenges that will have to involve associations in the sector, the world of information and institutions, which will have to guarantee transparent and correct information, so that citizens and local administrations can make the most appropriate decisions for their area. The CIB is at the forefront on this front.

The survey shows that, among citizens who are informed about the biogas sector, the level of acceptance of plants is growing significantly. More than 60% of respondents think that biogas has a positive impact on the economic and social development of agriculture and the country, recognising in particular its contribution to reducing emissions and valorising agricultural by-products. Furthermore, 47% emphasise the importance of the use of digestate among the benefits for the land.

Interest in biogas is particularly high among young people: 40% of those under 35 appreciate the increase in circularity in agricultural production, thanks to the valorisation of agro-industrial waste, while 34% highlight the role of biogas in the production of sustainable energy, fundamental for the country’s energy transition.