Last week, we shared that our team arrived in Bologna amid temperatures of around 37°C, with a promise to return to Europe’s ongoing heatwave.
This is why.
A recent Deloitte analysis paints a sobering picture of how climate change is expected to affect Italy, not only through extreme weather but through growing economic and infrastructure risks.
Some of the findings stand out:
📍Infrastructure damage could reach €5 billion every year by 2050. When indirect impacts, such as service and supply chain disruptions, are included, annual losses could rise to €11.5–18 billion.
📍Italy’s GDP could decline by between 1.6% and 6% by 2050, depending on the climate scenario.
📍Tourism, one of Italy’s most important industries, could lose up to €52 billion under a +4°C warming scenario.
But perhaps the most concerning finding isn’t the projected damage.
It’s the level of preparedness.
• Only 34% of SMEs consider climate a central business risk.
• 39% already expect high physical climate exposure within the next decade.
• Only 14% have business continuity plans for extreme weather.
• Just 10% have adapted their physical assets.
• And only 18% use digital tools or AI to assess physical climate risks.
This gap between known climate risks and actual preparedness is where resilience will be won or lost.
Experiencing extreme heat in Bologna made the conversation feel very real. Climate change is no longer something organizations are preparing for “someday.” It’s already influencing infrastructure performance, business continuity, insurance, financing, and investment decisions.
We believe adaptation starts with understanding your future climate exposure. High-resolution climate risk assessments help organizations identify vulnerabilities, prioritize investments, and build resilience before losses occur.
Because climate resilience isn’t just about responding to disasters.
It’s about making smarter decisions before they happen.
#ClimateRisk #ClimateAdaptation #Infrastructure #PhysicalRisk #ClimateResilience #ESG #ClimateTech #AI #WMF #Italy
Source:
Madeddu, D. (2026, June 3). Climate crisis, infrastructure damage in Italia of up to 5 billion a year. Il Sole 24 ORE.