Mitigating and adapting to climate change; sustainable use and protection of marine resources; transition towards a circular economy; pollution prevention and reduction; protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems were just some of pressing topics that were debated yesterday during the forum ‘Mitigating and adapting to climate change on a local level: Lazio Region’s commitment in favour of the ecological transition,’ at the Italy Pavilion’s Amphitheatre at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The forum addressed these crucial issues and how governments globally should be including recovery and development policies moving forwards. The growing interest in climate change and how it varies locally has transcended the scientific community, directly involving local administrations, policymakers and stakeholders. Today’s event was organised by the Lazio Regional Government together with the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC), the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and featured participants from Rome’s La Sapienza University and Università degli Studi La Tuscia.

Attendees included Roberta Lombardi, Lazio Regional Minister for the Ecological Transition and Digital Transformation; Quirino Briganti,Responsible for Lazio Region activities at “Expo 2020 Dubai”, Paolo Glisenti, Commissioner-General for Italy’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai; Stefano Ubertini, President CRUL-Lazio Regional University Committee; Livio De Santoli, Pro-rector of Rome’s La SapienzaUniversity, with a mandate for sustainability and Chair of the Italian Coordination for Renewable Sources and Energy Efficiency; Riccardo Valentini, Professor at the Department for Innovations in Biological, Agri-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF) at Università degli Studi La Tuscia and Director of the Climate Impacts Division at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change; Gianmaria Sannino, Head of the Climate Modelling and Impact Laboratory Ocean Energy, the work of the European SetPlan; Monia Santini of CMCC – Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change; Carola De Angelis, responsible for ESI Funds and Technical Assistance of Lazio Innova SpA, and Mara Cossu, Head of  Unit II – Strategies for sustainable development and environmental taxation, Directorate for sustainable growth and the quality of life (DG CRESS) of the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition (MiTE).

Nicola ZingarettiPresident of Lazio said, “The time for discussing climate change is over. We need tangible actions for the sake of our planet and for future generations. Lazio wants to be at the forefront when it comes to environmental sustainability. That’s why we have created the Department for the Ecological Transition and Digital Transformation. Through this endeavour, we can count on a high-profile network of universities, scientific centres and technological enterprises that will help us face the fundamental challenge of setting up a development model based on sustainability.”

Roberta Lombardi, Lazio Regional Minister for the Ecological Transition and Digital Transformationsaid, “One of the greatest challenges we face is finding effective ways to implement global decarbonisation goals on a local level, in our own territories, because this is where people can actually see what the institutions are doing, how their actions are tangibly affecting the environment, public health, the economy and standard of living. For example, combining the development of renewables with the protection of productive activities – such as our top agricultural products and foodstuffs – is one of our priorities, along with ensuring that the Ecological Transition shall be the result of a collective and inclusive process.”

“Dubai Expo 2020 ” Connecting Minds, Creating the Future ” is an important opportunity for our Country, it’s a strategic place to rebuild and strengthen that network of international relations, both commercial and cultural, that slowed down during the pandemic. The increasingly frequent extreme events such as heavy rainfalls, heat waves and sea level rise have serious repercussions on infrastructures, transport and the safety of citizens. The Forum on Ecological Transition examines the issues related to future scenarios determined by the climate change. At the Forum we want to discuss services and technologies aimed at addressing the effects of climate change, and we present some innovative tools developed through a process of co-design for a smart adaptation to climate change in the Lazio Region”, commented Quirino Briganti, Expo 2020 Dubai coordinator of the Lazio Region.