06 September 2024
The Study ‘Urban sustainability. Decarbonisation, electrification and innovation: opportunities and solutions for future-fit cities’, realised by TEHA Group in collaboration with A2A and the scientific contribution of ASviS, was presented during the 50th edition of the TEHA Forum in Cernobbio by Roberto Tasca, Chairman of A2A, Renato Mazzoncini, Managing Director and General Manager of A2A, and Lorenzo Tavazzi, Senior Partner and Board Member of TEHA. Enrico Giovannini, Co-founder and Scientific Director of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASVIS), also spoke at the meeting.
Today, urban centres are characterised by an intrinsic efficiency that also brings with it an overall efficiency: the 112 capital municipalities covered by the analysis consume 29% of the national energy, and generate about 60% of the GDP generated. The Report identified a set of technological and service levers that can increase the efficiency of cities, while improving urban sustainability and the quality of life of citizens. The cases of 7 Italian cities in which projects are being implemented to combine and increase citizens' wellbeing and sustainability in their territories (Milan, Brescia, Messina, Bergamo, Varese, Cremona and Cosenza) were also explored.
The levers:
- electrification of transport
- installation of photovoltaic systems on roofs
- installation of electric heat pumps
- spread of district heating
- development of urban green areas
- optimisation of waste and water management
- LED lighting (relamping) and Smart City
- building redevelopment
TEHA estimates that the identified levers could reduce emissions in cities by more than 50 per cent (32 million tonnes of CO2) by increasing electrification, RES, and derived heat in the consumption mix of urban areas by about 20 percentage points. For their activation, a total investment of about 270 billion euros is required, or about 10 billion euros annually until 2050. These actions represent the most efficient solutions, in terms of cost-benefit, for reducing emissions and can also be activated thanks to the involvement and commitment of all stakeholders: citizens, private operators and public bodies.
‘Cities have assumed a central role in social and economic development, becoming real catalysts for innovation and sustainability. Data indicate that, by 2050, the ongoing process of urbanisation 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 by 18%, and on energy consumption. At the same time, however, density makes cities particularly efficient: at a national level, they consume 29% of energy but produce 60% of GDP,’ commented Roberto Tasca, Chairman of A2A. ‘European mayors indicate as a priority the need to combine development and sustainability; to do this it is essential to implement decarbonisation strategies and invest in new technologies. Such an approach will not only help improve the quality of life of citizens, but also stimulate sustainable economic growth by making urban centres attractive and able to raise the quality of life of those who live in them’.
‘Cities have assumed a central role in social and economic development, becoming real catalysts for innovation and sustainability. Data indicate that, by 2050, the ongoing process of urbanisation 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 by 18%, and on energy consumption. At the same time, however, density makes cities particularly efficient: at a national level, they consume 29% of energy but produce 60% of GDP,’ commented Roberto Tasca, Chairman of A2A. ‘European mayors indicate as a priority the need to combine development and sustainability; to do this it is essential to implement decarbonisation strategies and invest in new technologies. Such an approach will not only help improve the quality of life of citizens, but also stimulate sustainable economic growth by making urban centres attractive and able to raise the quality of life of those who live in them’.
‘One of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to be achieved by the end of this decade, is to build sustainable and resilient cities,’ commented Enrico Giovannini, Scientific Director of the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASVIS), ’which requires full coherence of economic, social and environmental public policies. To achieve this goal, an integrated approach is indispensable both between the different parts of the local administration and between the different levels of government. In this perspective, it is essential to make the Interministerial Committee for Urban Policies (CIPU)’, reconstituted by the Draghi government but never convened, operational, with the aim of coordinating actions that impact on 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 an important effect on the current and future well-being of millions of citizens.