1. General information
2. Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The three protocols aimed to:
- Develop a model of environmental governance that merges the mitigation and adaptation effects of climate change (and show how they impact on air quality);
- Demonstrate the feasibility of local policies tackling climate change through the development partnerships between private and public bodies for the management of green urban areas;
- Initiate a process for assisting public administrations in promoting co-responsibility by introducing an innovative management tool that fosters tree planting in urban areas to compensate for the construction of infrastructure;
- Define a common and replicable methodology for calculating the greenhouse gases and air pollutants sequestration;
- Offer an instrument that local businesses can apply to offset their carbon footprint (1).
- Develop a model of environmental governance that merges the mitigation and adaptation effects of climate change (and show how they impact on air quality);
- Demonstrate the feasibility of local policies tackling climate change through the development partnerships between private and public bodies for the management of green urban areas;
- Initiate a process for assisting public administrations in promoting co-responsibility by introducing an innovative management tool that fosters tree planting in urban areas to compensate for the construction of infrastructure;
- Define a common and replicable methodology for calculating the greenhouse gases and air pollutants sequestration;
- Offer an instrument that local businesses can apply to offset their carbon footprint (1).
Quantitative targets
The planting of 3.000 new trees (an increase of circa 10%) throughout the city of Bologna with the aim to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 9.000 tons (1 tree = 3 tons of CO2), improve air quality and renovate the urban landscape (1).
Monitoring indicators defined
The indicators defined for this project are the number of new trees planted and the amount od CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
The project includes a study through which the shading capacity per tree was assessed. It also established the potential evapotranspiration values of tree species to ensure that a decrease of the urban heat island effect could be realised. These values have been published in a technical guidebook as part of the project (1 and 3).
The project includes a study through which the shading capacity per tree was assessed. It also established the potential evapotranspiration values of tree species to ensure that a decrease of the urban heat island effect could be realised. These values have been published in a technical guidebook as part of the project (1 and 3).
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implementation activities
The GAIA project has developed an instrument by which local enterprises and firms can decrease their carbon footprint and, at the same time, generate environmental and social benefits for the community. Even though it was difficult to engage the private sector in these kind of initiatives, mainly due to the economic crisis, the project succeeded in persuading 18 private companies to participate and the planting of 1.000 new trees. It also succeeded in drawing up the foreseen protocols: a technical protocol for evaluating trees in terms of CO2 sequestration and air pollutant removal as well as an analysis of eco-physiological threats of 20 tree species; and a management protocol for identifying juridical characteristics of the private-public agreement. Moreover, the project designed a carbon toolkit for calculating environmental targets in terms of CO2. Finally, it carried out a survey of the best national and international practices in the field of public-private partnership (3).
Type of NBS project
3. NBS domains, ES and scale
4. Governance and financing
5. Innovation
Type of innovation
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
In the long term, more effective urban city planning is expected. GAIA also enhanced the role of local authorities as key actors responsible for the implementation of actions that can mitigate the impact of climate change on the urban environment. The involvement of local companies in the partnership is also expected to increase their sense of responsibility for their surroundings. The GAIA partnership will continue after the project in order to ensure that urban forestation becomes a long-term goal of the municipality of Bologna. It will also help expand activities to other towns in Italy and beyond.
The official page presents instructions on how to replicate the project in other cities. The “GAIA for the cities” and “GAIA for the companies” Guidelines, the technical protocols and the widget toolkits for calculating the CO2 are also available (1).
The official page presents instructions on how to replicate the project in other cities. The “GAIA for the cities” and “GAIA for the companies” Guidelines, the technical protocols and the widget toolkits for calculating the CO2 are also available (1).
