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The contribution of the Environmental Ministry to the growth plan being discussed in these days by the Government after the summer holidays, has been published last week on the Ministry official website.

The framework described in the document is quite comprehensive and confirms the effort to put Italy back in track with the decarbonization of the economy addressed by several EU Directives. Various policies are already in place, but suffered in the past months of many delays in their actuation, due to conflicts of competences between different Governmental departments.The current technical Government could effectively help to solve several impasses.

For more information about the contribution (in Italian): http://www.minambiente.it/home_it/showitem.html?item=/documenti/comunicati/comunicato_0438.html&lang=it

MR Energy Systems, as a member of GBC Italia, is particularly glad to announce this event which will take place in Venice this coming Friday 22nd of June 2012. The important international event with the participation of international institutions as UNESCO and World GBC, and an exceptional speaker as Rick Fedrizzi, president of U.S. GBC and  chair of World GBC.

The event intends to present the ambitious development of a protocol for the sustainability of Historic Building, where Italy (GBC Italia) will play a leadership role in the international context. The protocol has the aim of merging two very important concepts: the LEED® sustainability criteria on one side, and the enormous Italian knowledge of restoration and conservation of historic heritage. An innovative standard, with the aim of facilitating the culture of sustainability in the built environment, and the conservation and protection of values and culture. A tool which will make the dialogue between operators and public authorities easier and more measurable.

The registration to the event is free of charge until the end of available places.

Click here to register to the event

“This is a big step ahead: for the very first time we have legally binding energy efficiency measures. Europe is now much better placed to achieve its 20% energy efficiency target for 2020”, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger stated.

“The measures will reduce our energy bill while generating further growth and jobs. They stimulate investments and make our energy using products more efficient.”

“The European Parliament and the Council have played a constructive role in finding a compromise. It also shows Europe’s ability to act in difficult economic times.”

Yesterday evening, the European Parliament, the Council and the EU Commission reached a political agreement on the Energy Efficiency Directive. Today, Coreper endorsed the agreement. European Parliament and the Council still need to give their approval.

To read the complete memo from the EC, click here.

Italian Emissions Trading plants emitting less than 25.000 tons CO2/year and with a thermal energy input lower than 35 MW can opt-out from the ETS scheme and request to be admitted to a simplified management scheme for their CO2 emissions. The deliberation of the NAtional Competent Authority can be downloaded at the folowing link (Italian).

The deadline to present the request is Friday, 8th June 2012 @12 a.m.

See also on the same topic (only Italian):

24 04 2012 – Novità in arrivo per gli impianti ETS di dimensioni ridotte

A wonderful initiative of the Municipalities of the North-East who have decided to give space, with a big party, to the Green Economy! At 17.00 the conference on the GREEN future of Porto Marghera (@ Mestre, Via Poerio). From 17.00 to 22.00 (@ Ca ‘Badoer, IUAV, Venice) our friends of the Master in’  Sustainable Construction Processes with GBC Italia promoting sustainable buildings and exhibiting innovative projects and solutions, accompanied by the notes of the Jazz Quintet of the Unisono Jazz Club of Feltre (BL). Another beautiful combination of art and passion. A round of applause to all the organizers and protagonists of the Green Night!

For more information and the complete program of the event:

Per maggiori informazioni e il programma completo dell’evento:

• www.notteverdevenezia.eu
• www.notteverdenordest.it
• Evento Badoer Venezia
• www.unisonojazz.it

Si inaugura VEGAIncube: nasce a Marghera una nuova generazione di imprese, VEGA 2 maggio 2012.

VEGAinCUBE will be launched the 2nd of May 2012 @ 12 a.m. at VEGA PARK. VEGAin CUBe is a ‘incubator’ of start-up, among which MR Energy Systems s.r.l. hosted for the coming three years thanks to a public competition and a selection of the best 21 business plans.

For more information (IT):

• Comunicato stampa di Vega Park e programma dell’evento 
• Articolo Corriere dell’Innovazione del 24 Aprile 2012
• Articolo La Nuova di Venezia del 24 aprile 2012
• Pagina Facebook di VegaInCUBE

GBC Italia took part to the meeting organized by UNECE on the 4th of April 2012;  The delegation of GBC Italia was composed by Mauro Roglieri and Francesco Bedeschi, both members of the Executive Board of GBC Italia.

The participation to this prestigious meeting matches very well with GBC Italia’s mission of diffusing the knowledge of Green Building Rating Systems in the relevant National and International authorities, to support the promotion and diffusion of usage of protocols as a tool to drive building market transformation towards sustainability.

The objective of this seminar was to discuss cost-efficient and “green” solutions, which can make the housing sector more sustainable. These include improvements to energy efficiency, environmental performance (water and waste management), and resilience to climate change. Greening homes is a part of the green economy concept, which is in turn at the heart of renewed efforts to integrate environmental and social considerations within the mainstream of economic decision-making in the run-up to Rio+20 and beyond.

The seminar has being organized back to back with a meeting of the UNECE Working Group to discuss a possible framework convention on sustainable housing. More than 70 UNECE member state representatives attended the working group meeting. More than 30 participated to the seminar, which facilitated the identification of priorities for the preparation of the September 2013 Ministerial Conference on Housing and Land Management.

GBC Italia presented the ‘bottom-up’ role that Green Rating Systems such as GBC Home or LEED® can have as an accelerator of change.

Access to the UNECE event page: UNECE – Greening Homes

Download presentation: GBC Italia: how rating systems can drive the change

[Sources: UNECE, GBC Italia, MR Energy]

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Last days for EU-ETS plants to surrender 2011 emissions to their national registries. Final deadline is April 30th 2012.

The Carbon market situation remains very uncertain, with EUA 08-12 Spot trading at around 7,19 €/t (EUA-08-12, Bluenext, 18/04/2012), as economic crisis has reduced significantly the emissions of EU plants (together with an increase of production of renewable energy). The attached graph shows verified emissions of the last four years: total EU-27 ETS emissions have decreased in 2011 by 12,5% compared to 2008 levels (14,4% for Italy), clearly showing an average reduction in the need to cover short positions, and therefore reducing the demand on the trading platforms.

The news introduced by EC from 2013, like the absence of free allocations for power production plants for instance, have not yet sorted the effects of maintaining a reasonable price level which can justify and really enforce investments in energy efficiency.

Is the pricing really reflecting already the new 2013 regime? Will the third period bring an improvement to the mechanism? Please send us your comments, or do contact us for more information.

EU ETS verified_emissions_2011_en

Tomorrow, 20th April 2012, at Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore (Venezia) an important event to know more about one of the consequences of greenhouse gas effect, with the participation of Sergio Castellari, National Focal Point of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and Jaroslav Mysiak, distinguished and experienced researcher in water economics and governance, climate risk and adaptation. Start at h.4. p.m.