Serfs: the hidden cost of food in global supply chains
In the European Middle Ages, the term “serfdom” referred to a legally defined status that fell somewhere between slavery (servus) and free man, in that the individual was not considered ...
From Jaguars to Sharks: Protecting Wildlife Against Transnational Crime
From Mexico to Argentina, through Central America and Brazil, wildlife trafficking has evolved from a marginal crime into a key component of transnational organized crime, closely linked to drug tra...
Recycling: an app called Junker reveals italians’ shortcomings
What are the most common doubts Italians face when standing in front of recycling bins? And how well do they understand the correct disposal methods for waste streams such as textiles and WEEE, whic...
Giorgos Kallis: post-growth economy as a new economics paradigm
Giorgos Kallis is one of the leading voices in the international degrowth movement within the academic world. He is one of the leaders behind a pioneering European research project on the post-growt...
The New Italy-China Circular Economy Forum Accelerates Cooperation
There is one thing that every European company today seems to prioritise: establishing new ties with the Chinese superpower. At the start of 2026, President Xi Jinping reached a series of important ...
Gruppo CAP boosts green infrastructure investments through 2037
Water infrastructure, renewable energy and circular economy projects are becoming increasingly central to the long-term strategies of Italian public utilities. Against this backdrop, Gruppo CAP has ...
A farewell to Carlo Petrini, the visionary who brought political dignity to food
“Those who sow utopia reap reality”: this is the phrase that Carlo Petrini often repeated, and it perhaps sums up his life spent turning ideas once considered on the fringes into global ...
Biodiversity Day 2026, acting locally for global impact
Biodiversity is increasingly recognised as one of the most strategic resources for the stability of ecosystems, economies and public health systems worldwide. Yet global biodiversity loss continues ...
Italy’s Solar Power Surge Reshapes the National Energy Mix
Italy’s electricity demand continued its upward trend in April 2026, reaching 23.9 billion kWh, a 1.9% increase compared with the same month in 2025. According to data published by Terna, the ...
Putin in China: the friendship is solid, but the pipeline remains on hold
The timing couldn’t have been better. Although Vladimir Putin’s visit to China had been planned for some time, the fact that it took place on May 20, just six days after Donald Trum...
Startup: NitroCapt develops sustainable nitrogen fertilisers
NitroCapt, a Swedish agri-tech company, aims to transform one of the most polluting sectors of agriculture: the production of nitrogen fertilisers. Winner of the prestigious $2 million Food Planet P...
Understanding contemporary China: the interviews of RM62
In the 62nd issue of Renewable Matter, we invited three experts to the Think Tank roundtable discussion to offer us an in-depth perspective on some of the key issues facing present-day China, s...
Under the Same Sky
The first Chinese character I ever learnt to write was tiān 天, which means “sky” or “heaven”. Perhaps because it’s easy to remember. It is made up of the charac...
Ecological Civilization as Ideology
The maturation of domestic environmental policies, programs and institutional capacity has contributed to the emergence of an ideology of Chinese global environmentalism that China has begun to depl...
The Chinese Century
Back in the day, when you wanted to glimpse into the future, you’d head to San Francisco or Las Vegas. Today, you travel to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu or Hangzhou. Robotics, AI, renewable en...
High Altitude, High Responsibility: the "Alpeggio Project"
Every year, with the arrival of the first autumn chills, the mountains of Trentino prepare for a moment of celebration: the Desmontegada. This is the moment when livestock herds, which have spe...
Trump-Xi: A summit of ambiguities - one meeting, two interpretations
Maybe it was the visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, a symbol of good harvest and prosperity in the Chinese imperial tradition. Or perhaps it was simply the international situation and economi...
Slow Tourism in Trentino: Good for the Mind and Body
Spending at least 120 minutes per week surrounded by nature is associated with good health and mental wellbeing. A study involving 20,000 people by the University of Exeter confirmed this, noting th...
GRI Introduces New Sustainability Standard on Soil Pollution
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is undergoing a significant process of innovation. A key part of this process is the introduction of new standards covering ESG issues that had previously not b...
Sludge: from disposal to recovery. Is the era of the euro-per-tonne fee coming to an end?
This article is part of the thematic channel The Water Observer: subscribe to our newsletter and receive exclusive contents from the world of water For years, the price of sewage sludge was a margi...