When Loans Go Social
Hands up those who are surprised to know that Italians’ confidence in the banking system has reached a historical low, which collapsed from 30% in 2005 to 10% at the end of 2015. A negative re...
Biomass is the Engine of the Canadian Bioeconomy
Jeff Passmore If biomass is the essential element for the development of the bioeconomy, Justin Trudeau-led country can rightly claim a leadership role in the field. A...
The Future Starts from Wood
“By 2030, we will need 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water. The solution is the bioeconomy.” Reading the opening lines of the portal devoted to the bioeconomy (yes, a whole...
The Bio Plant is Growing Fast
High production volumes achieved through growing investments in advanced technologies and technical means aimed at increasing productivity (fertilizers) and reducing risks (phytochemicals) caused by...
A Europe At Full GPP
For once, we are top of the class. Italy has just made GPP (Green public procurement) compulsory after years of scarcely effective advice. Now, thanks to the new procurement code, all publ...
Public Procurements Get even Greener
Structural funds are an intervention tool created and managed by the European Union, sever-year programmes so that member States can embark on smart, inclusive and sustainable growth where the susta...
The Concrete Way
It increases the safety of road tunnels in case of fire, it dramatically reduces energy consumption for lighting and has a considerably longer life expectancy compared to other materials used for ro...
Bioenergy Integrated in the Bio-based Economy is Needed to Meet Climate Targets
The 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Amsterdam has provided a unique overview of the state of play of the biomass sector and of its fundamental role in achieving the transition to ...
Ecomondo Regenerates Itself with the Circular Economy
This year, Ecomondo – the international Trade Fair of matter and energy recovery and sustainable development, celebrates its twentieth anniversary. Born in Rimini in 1977 under the n...
Kiribati's Lesson
Pacific Ocean, about 14,500 km from Italy: Kiribati, formerly known as Gilbert Islands, has been a republic since 1979 and geographically belongs to Micronesia. 717 square kilometres and 1...
The Dame Who Sank the Linear Economy
Energetic, discrete, influential, outspoken, complex, Ellen MacArthur is the Dame of the circular economy. She convinced Google and the World Economic Forum that the linear model is over a...
On Climate We Need Environmental Justice
The etymology of “garden” (gan) in Hebrew is the same as “to preserve” or “to protect” (le-hagen). The passage from Deuteronomy (20:19-20) forbids...
The Non-Matter Design
True, not all objects around stemmed from a designing mind: a great deal of anonymous design (just think of the “Hidden Forms” exhibition held in 2014 at Triennale di Milano) has made ...
Winners and Losers of a Circular Future
On the quest to develop a circular economy for Europe, leadership has now been passed from the European Commission to the Parliament and Council. With amendments drafted and discussions continuing i...
Looking After Green Spaces with GPP
Can GPP indeed represent the lever to unhinge the rigidity of the “production-consumption-discard” model characteristic of a linear economy in order to bend it towards a circular one? It...
If It Becomes an Online Whip-Round
Do you remember the old “whip-round” we used to have amongst classmates to buy a present? Well, compare that to the viral potential of digital technologies, to Internet platforms and soc...
From Maple Trees to Biorefineries
Supported by: Great availability of renewable raw materials, institutional infrastructure and support: These are the ingredients that make Canada one of the major players in the bioecon...
An Industrial Rebirth
Yet for all the focus placed on Canada as a resource-rich country, another story deserves to be told. This one talks of transformation and innovation, of adaptation in the face of adversity and of t...
All Canada's Resources
It is well known that Canada is rich in biomass. Less known is the fact that the country also has a myriad of strongly developed industries that can leverage the potential of the bioeconomy. In Cana...
Sugar is Better than Oil
C4H10O2. This is the formula of 1,4-Butanediol, a chemical compound derived from butane, a colourless gas which is obtained through fractional distillation of oil and natural gas. It is a fossil-der...