Legambiente Report: Egadi, Aeolian and Pelagie Islands among the most sustainable islands in Italy

Italy boasts numerous islands of unspoilt natural beauty, but which are the most environmentally sustainable? A report compiled by Legambiente, the Italian environmental association, unveiled the results, placing no less than three archipelagos of Sicily in the Top 5.

The report examined 27 Italian islands that are currently inhabited and considered a number of key environmental indicators to assess the level of sustainability of each of them. Among the aspects considered were land consumption, waste management, water use, energy efficiency, the presence of protected areas, sustainable mobility and the effectiveness of building regulations.

Prominent in the ranking is Sicily, whose natural beauty is combined with excellent sustainable management. In second place in the ranking is a prestigious ex aequo, occupied by the three Sicilian archipelagos: the Aegadian Islands, the Pelagian Islands and the Aeolian Islands. All three achieve a sustainability index of 49%, establishing themselves as ecological havens in their own right.

Aegadian Islands

The Egadi Islands, consisting of Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo have distinguished themselves through good performance in separate waste collection with a per capita rate of waste produced of less than 750 kilograms, demonstrating a well-structured and virtuous waste management model that reduces the environmental impact on the archipelago.

Pelagian Islands

The Pelagie Islands, represented by Lampedusa, Linosa and Lampione, were rewarded with one of the most positive data in the report: the very low water leakage rate of 17%. This result indicates effective management of water, a precious and limited resource on the islands, demonstrating a far-sighted and sustainable approach to its conservation.

Aeolian Islands

Finally, the Aeolian Islands archipelago, famous for its volcanic activity, has earned a prominent position in the ranking thanks to its ability to reconcile landscape conservation with sustainable tourism development.