ARSIAL promotes the development and innovation of Lazio agriculture. In close cooperation with the Regional Councilor of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, the Agency acts as a link between the production system and the research world and supports the spread of organic and low environmental impact crops, as well as the protection and enhancement of biodiversity resources present in Lazio. The Agency improves economic, social and environmental knowledge on farming systems and rural territory. It operates for the enhancement of quality, economic and social components of the regional agriculture.
Lazio is a region in the central Italy, covering an area of 17,201 sq.km and with a population of 5,8 million. The target of Lazio is to cover 11.9% of total energy consumption with renewable sources by 2020. The actions undertaken by the region in order to reach this target include:
- In 2007-2013 around 50M euros of regional development funds (ERDF) were directed to improving energy efficiency and use of RES in public buildings. More than 150 public buildings were renovated.
- The Lazio Region has promoted the Protocollo ITACA, an assessment tool that allows to value the level of energy and environmental sustainability in buildings and to verify their performance by encouraging more sustainable constructions.
- The region has also issued the regional Law n. 3 on the framework for small local uses of geothermal energy.
There is no precise data on the number of farms or other agricultural instances that use renewable energy in the region. According to ARSIAL, there are many farms that already produce and use RE and other ones that could be interested in the possibility. The good diffusion of the use of renewable energies has been possible thanks to the support of European structural fund programmes, and other state incentives dedicated to the production of RE in agriculture.
The region has a strong potential to reduce green house gas emissions especially through geothermal energy. The region has a geothermal reservoir, a volcanic area that has groundwater that could be used for heat or generation of electricity. Also solar, biomass energy and wind energy in coastal areas are potential sources of sustainable energy in the region. The region needs to explore these possibilities further and research the current state of play regarding the use of REs in agriculture, in order to support the transition to a low carbon economy and combat climate change.
Through AgroRES ARSIAL would like to:
- obtain knowledge on the state of farms and rural actors that produce and use REs, including the energy efficiency of structures;
- identify good practices that can act as an example for other regions and as a driving force for the other agricultural businesses in Lazio.
- implement an Action Plan in collaboration with the stakeholders that can be a good legacy for the future of our Region and for Europe.
