Parma was recognized by the European Commission as one of the hundred cities in Europe and one of the nine italian cities for its characteristics to reach Climate Neutrality in 2030. This is a starting point for the ducal city which aims to achieve the important goal through various actions with the involvement of local public and private stakeholders. On the 15 of December at Palazzo del Governatore the administration held the "Parma Climate Neutral 2030" event. The meeting opened with greetings by the Mayor of Parma, Michele Guerra, the Vice-President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Irene Priolo and the President of the Province of Parma, Andrea Massari.
The Mayor, Michele Guerra, declared: "Climate neutrality by 2030 represents an essential objective for our city which was identified by the European Commission among 100 cities in Europe and 9 cities in Italy to implement virtuous actions and measures, as a model. Parma Climate Neutral 2030 is therefore a choral project based on the involvement of the various players in the area starting from the manufacturing world, the third sector, University and the world of research. Citizens will also have a fundamental role to face this challenge with enthusiasm and cohesion. Hence the need for their involvement and awareness. Today is the start and the next step will be the signing of the Climate City Contract in which actions and resources will be established to make this goal real”.
The Councilor for the Environmental Sustainability, responsible of the Carbon Neutral city, Gianluca Borghi, presented the process to that will be carried out next year. “Parma Climate Neutral 2030 represents a challenging goal that we intend to achieve with awareness and determination. Climate neutrality is fundamental for the future of Parma and Europe and constitutes a binding and unavoidable objective. Its achievement is closely linked to an assumption of responsibility that will include all the components of the city "
The European Union Mission aims to make the chosen cities poles of experimentation and innovation, as reference for all European cities that will contribute to achieving carbon neutrality on the continent in 2050. The 100 Cities Mission timeline started with the Parma's candidacy in January 2022, the official communication from the Commission on 28 April 2022 and the signing of the protocol with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in September 2022. Climate City Contract in June 2023, the result of a participatory process with all stakeholders of the city, public and private, to develop suitable actions and measures to make Parma one of the 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030.
The Parma City Contract is very important to define the commitments through an agreed Action Plan and supported by an investment plan. An internal working group of the Municipality was defined to deal with stakeholders of the territory (economic and productive world, commercial, associative, cultural, social, health and institutions) to reach the signing of the Territorial Climate Contract by mid-2023.
A round table moderated by the Deputy Director of the Gazzetta di Parma was attended by: Maria Paola Chiesi of Km Verde; Davide Bollati of Davines; Daniele Friggeri, Delegate for Territorial Planning and Environmental Policies of the Province of Parma; Federico Storti, Pro-Rector with delegation for the Third Mission of the University of Parma; Andrea Zappettini, Director of INEM-CNR, illustrate the commitments, the actions already promoted and those planned towards the climate contract, in various areas: permanent training in the area, efficiency improvement of existing structures, research and innovation, development of models to influence the area and creation of bottom up services.
The conclusions of the Director General of the Municipality of Parma, Pasquale Criscuolo, testified to “a choral action by the Municipal Administration which is putting efforts into the field at a programmatic and operational level, involving 6 sectors of the institution in the project. It is a pride to walk together in this journey with the great capitals of Europe and other eight Italian cities. To achieve the necessary and important environmental objectives towards 2030, is necessary the ability to engage community and civil society. We have to make citizen and all the actors of the territory protagonist and not just the recipient of Parma's climate neutrality".
From the next January with a view to participation and sharing, the thematic tables will open and will collect useful contributions for the construction of the guidelines of the Action Plan: the territorial strategic program of which the Municipality of Parma will be the leader to implement the roadmap towards 2030.
