JRC Workshop/Working group “Challenges of clean and efficient transport in the Alpine and Adriatic-Ionian regions”
A Workshop/Working group on “Challenges of clean and efficient transport in the Alpine and Adriatic-Ionian regions” was held from the 12th to the 13th of October 2017 in Ispra, Italy. The meeting was organised by Joint Research centre of the European Commission. The event was aiming at enhancing expertise/knowledge sharing, which is an essential element to address cross-macroregion issues, between policy makers and scientists from these two macro-regions. The activity is organized in the framework of JRC scientific support to the implementation of European Union Strategy for Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the European Union for Alpine Region (EUSALP), “Macro-regions and regions of the future: mainstreaming sustainable regional and neighbourhood policy” (MARREF) project. Our Technical director Carlo Trozzi made a presentation on SESSION 2 Reduction of emissions from ship transport about Emissions estimates in port and control measures: methodology, case studies for Alpine and Adriatic-Ionian regions, EU and international comparison and a presentation on SESSION 3 Reduction of emissions from road transport about "Preparatory study for Air Quality plan in Abruzzo region/Pescara-Chieti costal area: emissions from transport sector and their impact on air quality.".
ClairCity at Genova Smart Week
From 20 to 24 November 2017, the city of Genoa hosted “The power of innovation”, the third edition of Genova Smart Week“, a week of conferences, technical and educational workshops, expo and networking events that will be attended by national and international players to share their views about innovations for the development of a livable city. ClairCity project has been presented at the workshop GREEN SOLUTIONS for urban regeneration “Claircity & Climaera – Alcotra Projects”. In cooperation with Regione Liguria on 22nd November 2017.
The conference organized by the CLIMAERA partnership involves the participation of all project partners as well as organizations and institutions interested in the issue of air quality in the urban environment and in the specific port. It will also has been an opportunity to present some of the work carried out in recent years by scientific institutions on the relationship between atmospheric emissions in relation to climate issues and the cost / benefit ratio that the various planning and strategic choices require. ClairCity project was presented by our technical director.
Sardegna Region Air quality Plan
Approved by Resolution of 10 January 2017, n. 1/3 the Air Quality Plan of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. The Regional Air Quality Plan were prepared by Atmosphera and Land Protection Service of the Office for protection of the environment, from the document prepared within the project "PO FESR 2007-2013 Line of activity 4.1 2a Upgrading of the monitoring network of air quality and of the emissions into the atmosphere ", whose implementer is the Service for Environmental Sustainability and Information Systems. In this project Techne Consulting, contracted by open procedure, has worked closely with the Regional services to update the inventory of emission sources, the identification of zoning and classification of zones and agglomerations, assessment of ambient air quality and realization of a modeling system for forecasting of air pollution.
The Plan promotes the adoption of additional measures to preserve the best air quality in the region: encouraging the replacement of open fires and traditional stoves with highly efficient systems in the domestic heating sector; restrictions on the use of fuel oil, diesel fuel and wood in low efficiency equipment used for space heating in the service sector; provisions for the abatment of dust from quarries and production of concretes and tiles industries; measures in ports (ports of Cagliari and Olbia), aimed to reduce emissions from the hoteling of ships in port such as a feasibility study on electrification of the docks, the monitoring of the fuels used by the boats approaching the port and the study on the possibility of replacing them with other less polluting, the rationalization of boarding systems and logistics of freight traffic within the port etc .; the rationalization of urban transport.
TFIAM/FAIRMODE Workshop on modelling urban and regional measures for improved air quality
A workshop on modelling urban and regional measures for improved air quality was held from the 15th to the 16th of February 2017 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The meeting was organised by TFIAM, the Task Force on Integrated Assessment Modelling della UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and the Forum EU - Forum for Air Quality Modelling in Europe (FAIRMODE). 60 experts attended the workshop. Our Technical director Carlo Trozzi presented an assessment of potential abatement measures in port areas in the Liguria region, northern Italy. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that shore-side electricity for ships could reduce local emissions by around 40% at a cost of 5-12 €/ton NOx, but that costs are sensitive to electricity prices and oil prices. The lack of coordination between harbours and the legal constraint to subsidize electricity for ships has thus far blocked the introduction of the measure. Mr Trozzi also introduced the Claircity project that aims at citizens’ awareness raising, participation and behavioural change through surveys, apps and games.
2020 UNECE Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections
The annual meeting of the Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections) in the frame of UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution was held remotely on 11-14th May 2020 due to restrictions in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting was well attended with attendance peaking at over 140 people. At the meeting our Technical Director co-chaired the Combustion & Industry Expert Panel and gave a presentation, in the panel, summarizing the results of EU Horizon 2020 ClairCity project.
The TFEIP supports Parties in the reporting of official air pollutant emissions and projections data to the Convention. It also provides a technical forum and expert network to identify emission factors, establish methodologies for the estimation of emissions, and identify problems related to data reporting.
A Black Carbon Working Group is one of the priority actions in the TFEIP Work Plan 2020-21. Expected outcomes of the work include checking and defining the current methodologies, identifying possible gaps and improvement needs, and harmonizing the current presentation of methods in the EMEP/EEA Guidebook. The results can be used to support inclusion of black carbon in a revised Gothenburg Protocol. Our technical director contributed to the task working to analyze the original references behind the Guidebook emission factors.