Il 25 ottobre la Commissione Europea ha pubblicato l’elenco, e la sintesi, dei progetti del Programma LIFE presentati nel 2017 e approvati nel 2018. Si tratta di progetti in partenza in queste settimane, o già avviati in questi mesi. Ottimo il risultato italiano italiano: dei 142 progetti approvati a livello europeo, 30 (il 21%) sono quelli presentati da imprese o soggetti italiani. 

A livello complessivo, cresce il tasso di successo, cioè il rapporto tra il numero di progetti presentati e quello di progetti approvati. Ciò è dovuto, senza dubbio, al proseguire del trend iniziato nel 2013 che vede una riduzione del numero di progetti presentati. 

Tra le novità di quest’anno, poi, c’è l’introduzione di un sistema in due fasi che divide la fase di selezione, riducendo lo spreco di tempo per i soggetti che presentano un progetto che non risulta, fin dalla prima relazione, interessante per la giuria. Infatti, nella prima fase, ai candidati non è richiesta la presentazione di un progetto vero e proprio ma di una sintesi dello stesso.

A questo link la lista dei progetti completi.
Di seguito una selezione dei progetti con capofila italiani (il cui elenco completo si può trovare a quest’altro link).

Sezione LIFE Nature & Biodiversity

Titolo del Progetto: Road safety for large carnivores (LIFE SAFE-CROSSING)

Descrizione del Progetto: Large carnivores are severely threatened by road infrastructure, due to direct mortality caused by vehicle collisions and the barrier effect restricting the movement of populations. LIFE SAFE-CROSSING will demonstrate animal-vehicle collision prevention systems in Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain. These are designed to significantly reduce the road mortality of brown bears, lynx and wolves. An awareness campaign will encourage drivers to look out for large carnivores and reduce their speed. Improved road-crossing structures will enhance the connectivity of populations within nature conservation areas in the four countries.

A questo link un riepilogo del Progetto.

Sezione LIFE Environment & Resource Efficiency

Titolo del Progetto: Electric car-sharing for smaller cities (I-SharE LIFE)

Presentazione del Progetto: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants from road transport, I-SharE LIFE is tailoring car-sharing services to smaller cities. As part of these efforts, Ferrovie Nord Milano, one of Italy’s largest railway operators, is taking car-sharing models that have worked well in bustling metropolises and adapting them to Bergamo, Como, Bollate, Busto Arsizio in Italy and Osijek in Croatia – all cities with fewer than 120 000 inhabitants. Their strategy includes boosting market uptake with information campaigns tailored to potential new participants. Results will be shared with an additional 34 communities across northern Italy and western Croatia in view of cutting air pollution, traffic noise and congestion across Europe.

A questo link un riepilogo del Progetto.

Sezione LIFE Environmental Governance & Information

Titolo del Progetto: Using data to evaluate the impact of chemical substances (LIFE CONCERT REACH)

Presentazione del Progetto: REACH is an EU Regulation designed to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. Since May 2018, a large amount of REACH experimental data has become available. LIFE CONCERT REACH aims to make use of this resource to create reliable environmental indicators to better assess the impact of substances. In particular, the project will set up a network of systems that integrates data on registered chemicals with computer processing (in-silico) tools, applying innovative non-testing methods. It will also produce case studies on chemical substances that will be of practical use to industry.

A questo link un riepilogo del progetto.

Sezione LIFE Climate Change Adaptation

Titolo del Progetto: A smart approach to monitoring green spaces in cities (LIFE URBANGREEN)

Presentazione del Progetto: Cities are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as heatwaves, flooding, droughts and the urban heat island effect, which is when cities are much hotter than surrounding rural areas. LIFE URBANGREEN will show that the management of urban green areas in two European cities can be improved by the introduction of a monitoring platform based on geographic information systems. This platform will enable the ecosystem services provided by green areas in cities to be assessed using remote sensing data, the irrigation of trees to be smartly managed and the public to be involved in environmental monitoring. The trials in Rimini, Italy and Krakow, Poland are expected to reduce the cities’ greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and air temperature.

A questo link un riepilogo del Progetto. 

Sezione LIFE Climate Change Mitigation (5 projects – 17.0 million) 

Titolo del Progetto: Reducing the global warming potential of air conditioning (ZEROGWP)

Presentazione del Progetto: Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants have a significant global warming potential and must be largely phased out of fridges, air conditioning and ventilation units in the EU by 2030. A propane alternative, R290, has near zero global warming potential but is highly flammable and so cannot currently be used in standard air conditioning units. ZEROGWP will enable the company INNOVA to bring its propane-based double duct air conditioning systems closer to market by carrying out extensive field tests in residential buildings in Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia ahead of promoting its commercial uptake across Europe. The project will carry out a lifecycle analysis of the new technology’s environmental performance, make its safety performance available to policymakers and draw up a business plan.

A questo link un riepilogo del Progetto

Sezione LIFE Climate Governance & Information 

Titolo del progetto: Using natural water retention to reduce the impact of flooding (LIFE BEWARE)

Presentazione del Progetto: Floods and heavy rainfall are becoming increasingly common as a result of climate change. The LIFE BEWARE project is using natural water retention measures to diminish the risks and the economic damage caused by flooding. It will engage the people of the Veneto region of northern Italy, an area prone to floods, through workshops and investment opportunities. Activities include improving building codes to take into account climate change adaptation, the development of sustainable urban drainage systems and the creation of a large water retention basin for storing water on agricultural land.

A questo link, un riepilogo del Progetto. 

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