2018 – An important year for emissions and the climate

Thursday, May 3, 2018

2018 is an important year in which Europe, and Italy, will need to take important decisions regarding the climate and emissions. What can we expect? We spoke about this to Gianni Silvestrini, Scientific Director of the Kyoto Club.

“This year there will be an agreement regarding the position of the European Parliament and the more cautious member countries (including Italy) and the same EU Commission in favour of an increase in the objectives of renewables and efficiency to 35% by 2030. In the end, in the conciliation process, I think we will reach a target of 30 or 31% for both sectors (which implies that about 60% of electricity generation will come from renewables).

Italy will have to lay down a climate and energy programme for 2030 – 2050 with implications for all sectors of the economy, taking into account these targets and, more generally speaking, the Paris objectives.”

De-carbonisation will become a key theme for the construction industry. What role can and should this sector play?

“Achieving climate goals implies much greater attention to the transport and construction sectors. Regarding the latter in particular, we need to think about the introduction of new financial approaches and innovative models of intervention that will make it possible to make a qualitative leap in terms of strategies aimed at boosting energy redevelopment of our building heritage.”

What national and international possibilities for development, growth and competition can companies in the sector hope to have by aiming at low carbon construction?

“De-carbonisation will see a strong involvement from companies in the digital sector, over and above those traditionally used on the component and thermal insulation front. As soon as legislation permits, we will see a rapid expansion of the Energy Communities, with energy exchanges between the various utilities, storage systems and photovoltaic installations. And the utilities will be able to carve out an important space for themselves in this new context.”

Is the Green Economy also good for employment?

“As the ‘Symbola’ analysis reminds us, there are some 355,000 Italian companies, or 27.1% of the total, of the industry and services that, since 2011, have invested in green technologies to reduce the environmental impact, save energy and reduce emissions of CO2. Given the climate goals being defined at European and Italian level, this number can only grow.”

By passing from a linear development model to a circular one, can Italy become a European point of reference? In the light, too, of the existence of an innovative supply chain in the bio-economy sector.

“Certainly. Italy demonstrates excellence in terms of waste recycling, green chemistry and certain aspects of the law (such as plastic bags). The push that will come about following the recent European approval of the Circular Economy package can only accelerate the dynamism of the more advanced sectors and stimulate those, which represent the majority, that are still lagging behind.”