Press Bulletin
ECOMONDO DAILY REPORT
Rimini, 8th November 2017
A RECORD-BREAKING STATES GENERAL OF THE GREEN ECONOMY ALSO WEBCASTED
Record-breaking participation in the sixth edition of the States General of the Green economy, which ended today at Ecomondo: 2,600 attendees, over 1,500 users for the live Italian streaming coverage, plus all those who followed live streaming coverage in English dedicated to international users, and over 80 Italian and foreign speakers.
The 2017 States General of the Green economy hosted discussions between Italy’s green economy and political party exponents. Edo Ronchi, of the National Council of the Green Economy, said, “We found positive willingness on behalf of the political forces to open discussions on the program for transition to the green economy. We intend continuing in this direction in order that the green economy is included in political parties’ programs, bearing in mind the next elections. The fact that this issue is extremely topical is shown by the record number of registered participants this year.”
As well as Gian Luca Galletti, Minister for the Environment, speakers included Simona Bonafè - Partito Democratico, Massimo De Rosa - Movimento 5 Stelle, Stefano Parisi - Energie per l’Italia, Claudia Maria Terzi - Lega Nord and numerous experts such as Cao Jianye, Scientific Counsellor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Italy, Woodrow Clark, American economist and supporter of the green economy, MEP Monica Frassoni and representatives of Italian and foreign industrial groups.
BIOECONOMY - OCSE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION AT ECOMONDO: “A SECTOR WITH ENORMOUS POTENTIAL’”
Bioeconomy in the spotlight at Ecomondo, where, today and tomorrow participants in the focus on Bioeconomy in Italy organized by the Ecomondo Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Fabio Fava, included leading personalities at European and world level, such as OCSE representative James Philip and Philippe Mengal, executive director of the BBI JU, the European Union’s public-private joint undertaking (3.7 billion euros) dedicated to developing the bioeconomy in Europe. James Philip explains, “For abut ten year the OCSE has followed the development of the bioeconomy at world level. All the G7 nations have their own national strategies connected with bioeconomy and so far there are about fifty countries worldwide that have one or have begun work on this matter.” James Philip continues, “Italy is an interesting area, with numerous possibilities. As opposed to other European countries, the bioeconomy is applied to numerous sources: domestic waste, but also agriculture, forests and the maritime sector. There is interesting interconnection between circular economy and bioeconomy to be found here in Italy and it is also for this reason that I am here at Ecomondo.“ Philippe Mengal also observes, “Bioeconomy is reporting double-digit growth figures in Europe and represents a great opportunity for Italy. It is very important or us to meet here at Ecomondo, where industrial, political and research representatives gather”, he continues. To give an example of the positive effects of the bioeconomy in Italy, Mengal indicates the agricultural sector: “The sector’s critical situations can be overcome by means of the development of the bioeconomy. It’s sufficient to think of the use of hay, which, rather than waste, can be considered an important raw material. The BBI JU European initiative helps to carry this development forward, maintaining it in the respective countries and creating jobs.”
SMART CITIES - THE EXPERIENCES OF PORTLAND AND SAN LEANDRO (USA) AT ECOMONDO:
At Ecomondo-Key Energy challenge of cities of the future took form with the flagship event Circular & Smart Cities, at which participants were technicians and administrators from the US cities of Portland (Oregon) and San Leandro (California), leading US municipalities in the US projects on Mobility and Energy/Waste/Water. For the first time, an opportunity for USA-Italy networking on the application of the concepts of circular economy in urban contexts, supported by the increasingly used modern technologies, such as the Internet of Things and Big Data analytics. Professor Gian Marco Revel of the Ecomondo scientific committee explains, “As well as being model cities for sustainability solutions, Portland and San Leandro play an important role in the implementation of the Global Cities Team Challenge (GCTC), i.e. the government Smart Cities program launched in the United States in the period of the Obama administration to favour the implementation of advanced solutions, mainly based on the Internet of Things at urban level.”
Portand has a population of almost 600,000 and is the 28th most populous city in the USA. “The county of Multnomah”, explained Kristin Tuft of Portland State University, “has been working for some time on environmental sustainability, for renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions. The 2015 climate action plan foresees the reduction of local carbon emissions by 80% and reaching 100% use of renewable sources by 2050.”
Pauline Cutter, mayor of San Leandro (a city of 87,000 inhabitants on the East Bay of San Francisco), also spoke at the conference. San Leandro holds the record of being the first city with a Zero Net Energy Center. The mayor citizen explained “Thanks to the partnership between the syndicate of the electricity sector and the national association of electricians, an ex-factory was transformed into a training centre for electricians and now hosts events in the green building sector. The Internet of Things is already a reality in San Leandro, with workplaces able to host teleconferencing and remote control systems for the municipal construction systems.” At the conference, other participants included Rimini’s mayor Andrea Gnassi and the mayor of Pesaro and National ANCI Vice-President Matteo Ricci, as well as Maria Cristina Farioli, Business Development Director, IBM Italia, Maurizio Venturi, Executive IT Architect, IBM Italia, Giuseppe Sola, Head of Data Monetization Solutions, OLIVETTI, TIM Group, Marcoandrea Muzzatti, Energy Manager, CAP Group. At the opening of proceedings, Prof. Maurizio Tira, Rector of the University of Brescia and President of the National Centre for Town-planning Studies.
POOL TESTS FOR AQUATIC DRONES THAT MAP AND ANALYZE RIVER AND LAKE POLLUTION
This innovative project, which aims at providing water service utilities and citizens high-precision instruments based on robotics and the Internet of things, able to map and analyze the pollution of rivers and lakes was presented today at Ecomondo, in the context of the Global Water Expo event Smart water monitoring for water and lake basin management. The project was prepared in the context of the Horizon2020 INTCATCH European innovation action (www.intcatch.eu). An innovation action costing 10 million euros, 70% of which is financed by the European Commission, the rest with private funding, now at the application and test stage in four European sites: the basin of Lake Garda, the Thames in London, Lake Yliki in Athens and the River Ter in Barcelona. The Intcatch researchers’ work has led to an evolved water monitoring system, combining robotics (aquatic drones), artificial intelligence, nano- and bio-sensors and cloud-based big data management. In the Ecomondo pool, one of the aquatic drones was tested (the project foresees the use of fleets of drones), equipped with innovative sensors and a platform of biotechnological and IT instruments able to identify the genome of bacteria, and therefore rapidly asses the pollution level of water basins. Another aspect of the project regards so-called Citizen Science, the sharing of data with citizens in real time, enabling them to play an active role in safeguarding their natural capital (water), thanks to interactive apps.
AT ECOMONDO THE CAP GROUP’S BIOMETHANE-POWERED PANDA. TOMORROW A TOUR OF THE CITY OF RIMINI
It has covered the first 10,000 kilometres of the 80,00 foreseen, and tests show that it cuts emissions by 97% compared to the same petrol-powered model: these are the first results of the experiment on the Fiat Panda Natural Power #Biometanow, the first vehicle in Italy to be powered by biomethane produced from wastewater, in this case treated by the purification plant in Bresso-Niguarda, north of Milan. Today at Ecomondo, the CAP Group, the water utility company of the City of Milan, presented the latest updates that will characterize the future of this real-life project of circular economy. Alessandro Russo, president and MD of the CAP Group, explained, “We’re ready to start with a new phase of the project. Within 2018 we have on the cards the construction of a new plant suitable for the production of industrial quantities of biomethane from the sewage system.”
Tomorrow morning, 9th November at 11:00, the Panda #Biometanow will leave the Expo Centre for a representative tour under the banner of sustainability, stopping at various locations of the city Rimini considered on the basis of a green approach. From the Bikepark to the new cycle track and the new pedestrian and limited traffic areas of the historic centre and the new cycle-pedestrian bridge, the Panda will follow a route under the banner of the new horizon of smart cities.
CIAL AND COSTA CRUISES TOGETHER ON THE “MESSAGE IN A CAN” PROJECT
CIAL (Aluminium Packaging Consortium) and Costa Cruises presented an update on the latest information available on “Message in a can”, a promotion and development project for the source segregated collection and recycling of aluminium beverage cans, realized with the patronage of the Ministry for the Environment and Land & Sea Protection. “Message in a can” foresees the recycling of the aluminium from the Costa Cruises liners that dock in Savona and Venice.
Stefania Lallai, Sustainability and External Relations Director with Costa Cruises, commented: “Thanks to the collaboration with CIAL, on board our ships we have realized a project that is unique in the sector maritime, which has led to the recycling of no less than 393 tons of aluminium in ten years. Our long-term objective is to gradually extend this project to other Italian ports and, at the same time, to realize initiatives that directly involve cities and communities, as in the case of Savona. In fact, we want to play an active role in strengthening the message of the importance of recovering this valuable material, so that it becomes normal behaviour in everybody’s day-to-day life.”
Using as a unit of measurement a 33cl. beverage can, 393 tons correspond to 32 million cans (4.7 million cans in the last year alone), which, placed alongside each other, would cover a distance of 3,915 km., in other words two seven-day cruises by the Costa Diadema in the Mediterranean.
Also using the same parameter, using 393 tons of aluminium, it would be possible to manufacture for example: 39,300 bicycles, 840,000 moka coffee pots, 262,000 desk lamps, 356,000 professional pans, 51,500 car wheels or 41 high-speed railway coaches.
Gino Schiona, General Manager of CIAL, said, “For new updated development of the global economy, the key words are ‘energy saving’ and ‘efficient use of resources’, and waste recycling will enable to regularly reduce the use of raw materials in all developed nations.”
ENEA: AN APP MEASURES SCHOOL BUILDINGS’ ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND EARTHQUAKE VULNERABILITY
It’s called“Safe School 4.0” and is conceived to support technicians and those responsible for the energy diagnosis and energy and structural monitoring of schools.
Today, Ecomondo and Key Energy hosted the presentation of an app for smartphones and tablets that measures the energy consumption and earthquake vulnerability of school buildings, to program in a more economic and sustainable manner the work for ensuring safety and energy upgrading.
Safe School 4.0 provides an initial assessment of the work for the improvement of functionality, management and performance from the points of view of both energy and structural efficiency.
There was also a presentation of the Sustainable School Quality Protocol that Anthea Rimini and ENEA have drawn up, precisely to proceed with the upgrading of school buildings according to an innovative model that foresees the preventive assessment and identification of improvements that are also educational opportunities for the pupils, families and school staff.
In the afternoon, the project realized for Rimini’s “La Gabbianella” nursery school was also presented, with which energy consumption is practically reduced to zero. The project, prepared and realized by Anthea, obtained the financing of the Emilia-Romagna Region as it was part of action foreseen by the PAES (Sustainable Energy Action Plan), which encourages work for the energy upgrading of public buildings.
THE PROVINCE OF RIMINI PARTNER IN A PROJECT AGAINST FOOD WASTE
How can waste be avoided in food’s life cycle? And how can unused food be recovered and re-used as donations? These are two of the questions to which answers are offered by STREFOWA, the project financed by the European Union that was at the centre of today’s workshop organized at Ecomondo. In fact, STREFOWA is a European project, of which the Province of Rimini is a partner (along with organizations from Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic), which aims as establishing models and strategies to avoid food waste along the entire life cycle of food produce, concentrating particular attention on the recovery of unused food and its use for donations or re-use for charity purposes.
TOMORROW AT ECOMONDO
The winning projects of the Climathon marathon held in 18 Italian cities will be presented tomorrow at Ecomondo, during a conference organized by Climate-KIC Italy. In Bologna an app that enables companies to improve their staff’s journey to work, helping them to choose less polluted roads, in Venice buoys as artistic installations and safe meeting places. These are just 2 of the 18 winning projects for Climathon, the 24-hour “marathon” to propose ideas of use for fighting climate change, which will be presented tomorrow at Ecomondo (10:00 am, Rimini Expo Centre) during a forum moderated by geologist Mario Tozzi. The event is organized by Climate-KIC, the European public-private community for combating climate change, coordinated in Italy by Climate-KIC Italy, headquartered in Bologna.
Tomorrow there is an appointment with Ecomondo Off in the Convent of Saints Catherine and Barbara in Santarcangelo di Romagna, on the topic “The right time for the Apennine Communities”. This will be day of discussions on the sustainable development of the small towns located along Italy’s geographical “spinal cord”. From 3:00 pm there will also be a creative workshop with presentations of virtuous experiences for exploiting small Apennine locations from northern to southern Italy; this will be followed by a walk in the cloister, a summing up of the proceedings and, from 7:00 pm, a moment of reflection and ideas for the future – speeches are scheduled among others, by Sandro Polci (director of the European Festival of the Via Francigena).