(Finance) – A 270 billion euro investment package to enable the decarbonisation process and the improvement of efficiency and quality of life in Italian cities by 2050, activating a series of technological and service levers already today
available and reducing city emissions by more than 50%. This is the proposal launched by the Position Paper “Urban Sustainability. Decarbonization, Electrification and Innovation: Opportunities and Solutions for Future-Fit Cities”– a complete and detailed study on the role of Italian cities as economic and social catalysts and on their relevance in promoting the decarbonisation process of the entire country system, made by TEHA Group in collaboration with A2A and the scientific contribution of ASviS– presented today, within the framework of the 50th edition of the Cernobbio Forumfrom Roberto Pocket, President of A2A, Renato MazzonciniCEO and General Manager of A2A and Lorenzo Tavazzi, senior partner and board member of TEHA. The meeting was also attended by Henry Giovanninico-founder and Scientific Director of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS).
Already today the urban centers they are characterized by an intrinsic efficiency which – the study highlights – also brings with it an overall efficiency: the 112 provincial capitals analyzed consume 29% of the national energy total, compared to approximately 60% of the GDP generated.
The Report identified a series of technological and service levers which can increase the efficiency of citieswhile improving urban sustainability and the quality of life of citizens. In addition, studies have been carried out the cases of 7 Italian cities where projects are being implemented aimed at combining and increasing the well-being of citizens and sustainability in the territories (Milan, Brescia, Messina, Bergamo, Varese, Cremona and Cosenza).
The data show that in 2007, for the first time, the world population living in urban areas has surpassed that which lives in rural areas. From 1950 to today, the share of the urban population has doubled, going from 29.6% to 58.3% of the total, with a forecast of reaching 70% by 2050. In Italy, residents in urban areas are already 72.6% today and it is estimated that this percentage could
rise to 81.1% in 2050, resulting in a specific CO2 emissions increase of 18%.
THE urbanization trends are linked to the role of economic and social “catalyst” of cities. In Italy, in just the 112 provincial capitals analysed in the Study – which cover 7% of the national surface area and represent 29% of Italian energy consumption –
concentrates 60% of the GDP generated in the country.
The city – the report notes – are characterized by intrinsic efficiency; they require less thermal consumption (-21% per unit of surface area), generate economies of density for water, electricity and gas networks (the users connected to the electricity and gas networks per km are approximately 5 and 3 times higher than those in the rest of the country) and favor a lower use of individual means of transport for travel (+54% of TPL and sustainable modes in cities vs. the rest of Italy).
There epochal challenge of decarbonisation – this is the message launched by the analysis – can only be won with the joint commitment of
public bodies, private operators and citizens, to live in increasingly sustainable cities.
“Cities have taken on a central role in social and economic development, becoming true catalysts for innovation and sustainability. Data indicate that, by 2050, the ongoing urbanization process could lead to 70% of the world’s population living in urban areas; a percentage that rises to over 80% in Italy and that will have a consequent impact on emissions, up 18%, and on energy consumption. However, density also makes cities particularly efficient: at a national level, they consume 29% of energy but produce 60% of GDP – he commented Pocket –. European mayors indicate the need to combine development and sustainability as a priority; to do so, it is essential to implement decarbonisation strategies and invest in new technologies. With such an approach, not only will it be possible to contribute to improving the quality of life of citizens, but also to stimulate sustainable economic growth by making urban centres attractive and capable of raising the quality of life of those who live there”.
“Thanks to the technological levers already available today, it is possible to reduce city emissions by over 50%: in absolute values, this is 32 million tons of CO2, equal to the carbon dioxide absorbed by 210 million trees. A substantial contribution to the path towards climate neutrality and for the well-being of people – he declared Mazzoncini –. The current mix of consumption would also benefit, with an increase in the weight of renewables, electricity and derived heat of 20 percentage points on the total, reducing the use of fossil fuels. The actions identified require annual investments of approximately 10 billion euros for a total of 270 billion until 2050; resources that can also be activated thanks to the presence and economic-financial capacity of industrial operators, including A2A, which can play an enabling and partner role, thus contributing to accelerating the path towards sustainability”.
“The 21st century is the century of cities. With the acceleration of urbanization affecting all areas of the world, cities are increasingly the places where a country’s economy and society grow and develop,” he commented. Tavazzi –. It is necessary to ensure that
cities continue to play their role as accelerators of development and combine this with the sustainability required by European targets and quality of life. The share of Italian citizens who declare themselves satisfied with life in their city is in fact 8.1 percentage points lower than the European average. In the Study presented today we have identified 7 immediately implementable levers of action for decarbonisation, electrification and urban innovation (photovoltaic systems, installation of electric heat pumps, district heating, water and waste management, electrification of local public transport, LED lighting and urban greenery), with important benefits in terms of CO2 and efficiency of the energy mix of consumption”.
“One of the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to be achieved by the end of this decade, is to build sustainable and resilient cities – he commented Giovannini – which requires full coherence of economic, social and environmental public policies. To achieve this goal, an integrated approach is essential both between the different parts of local administration and between the different levels of government. In this perspective, it is essential to make the Interministerial Committee operational
for urban policies (CIPU), reconstituted by the Draghi Government, but never convened, with the aim of coordinating actions that impact the state of cities, especially metropolitan ones. The study presented today demonstrates the opportunities that a well-coordinated investment in the transformation of Italian cities would produce a significant effect on the current and future well-being of millions of citizens”.