Abstract
This study assesses the environmental performance of future energy scenarios involving increased renewable energy sources penetration, using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Standardized under the ISO 14000 series, life cycle assessment is a globally recognized approach for evaluating the environmental impacts of products or services throughout their entire life cycle. It considers both inputs from nature (such as materials, energy, and water) and outputs to the environment, including emissions and waste. This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how the environmental impacts may evolve in the transition from a fossil-fueled-based energy system to one dominated by renewable energy sources taking as reference a region in the northern Italy. A cradle-to gate perspective is adopted, including resource extraction, manufacturing, and the operational phase of electricity generation and distribution. Environmental burdens are quantified across several midpoint indicators, including acidification, freshwater eutrophication, ecotoxicity, climate change potential, land transformation, and resource scarcity. The results highlight the potential of the energy transition paradigm to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, while also drawing attention to the importance of monitoring other environmental impact categories (particularly those related to material use and resource availability) to ensure a truly sustainable transformation.