Relations between Italy and Africa, sustainable water management and development opportunities for the continent’s agricultural sector were the focus today of the sixth edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum, organised in collaboration with the Task Force for the Implementation of the Presidential Office’s Mattei Plan, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo and RES4Africa. An opportunity to discuss the role of the Mattei Plan in promoting models of cooperation capable of creating networking between institutions, international organisations and businesses, while highlighting the private sector’s contribution to Africa’s sustainable growth. The proceedings were opened by Professor Fabio Fava, President of Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee (TSC); Fabio Massimo Ballerini, a member of the Mattei Plan Task Force at the Presidential Office; and Francesco Corvaro, the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Energy Security’s (MASE) Special Envoy for Climate Change. The event continued with a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for private investment within the Water Forward Initiative, followed by a presentation of case studies on water management for productive uses.
THE FUTURE OF PACKAGING BETWEEN INNOVATION, REGULATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Interpreting the requirements of the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the challenges of eco-design, steering research towards recycled and bio-based materials, and building genuine end-to-end synergy between the packaging industry and large-scale retail, were the topics under discussion at Ecomondo yesterday during the Paper District GDO & Grocery Summit. The event focused on regulatory compliance relating to substances contained in packaging, recyclability requirements, supply chain innovations, the value of CO₂-derived polymers and circular efficiency throughout the product’s entire life cycle. The event, organised by Ecomondo in collaboration with Largo Consumo and the Italian Paper and Graphics Federation, opened with welcoming remarks from Mauro Delle Fratte, Exhibition Manager at Ecomondo, and a presentation by Micol Bertoni from Assografici. This was followed by two round-table discussions featuring representatives from companies in the retail sector and from large-scale retail organisations.
CLIMATE TRANSITION PLANS: TOOLS FOR MANAGING ESG RISKS AND GUIDING INVESTMENTS
For businesses and investors, climate transition plans are strategic tools for managing ESG risks and guiding industrial and financial decisions. Their role was discussed yesterday at the event “Climate transition plans for managing ESG risks: what role for businesses and investors?”. The session, chaired by Francesco Bicciato, Director-General of the Forum for Sustainable Finance, which helped organise the event, was attended by representatives from the financial sector (the European Investment Bank and the Green Climate Fund), sector associations (Eurosif and the Forum for Sustainable Finance) and the business sector, including the Hera Group. Plan credibility is key. Plans must translate climate objectives into actionable strategies and funded investments, providing investors with reliable and comparable information, while capital markets and intermediaries are tasked with channelling investment and credit, and public and private resources are deployed to support the implementation of the plans.
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND DEFENCE BETWEEN STRATEGIC AUTONOMY AND DUAL-USE INNOVATION
Supply chain fragmentation and dependence on foreign supplies of critical raw materials also contribute to making the circular economy a strategic lever for the Italian and European defence industries. To boost autonomy, resource recovery must be accompanied by the development of industrial expertise in processing and reusing them. This was one of the key messages that emerged yesterday at the conference entitled “Circular Economy and Defence: Italian and European industry between challenges and opportunities”. The meeting, chaired by the President of Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee (TSC), Professor Fabio Fava, and Lucia Leonessi from Cisambiente Confindustria, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Defence, the Air Force, the Navy and the industrial world. Attention was also given to the prospects for dual-use applications, highlighting the contribution of research, innovation and collaborative design in the development of technologies and solutions applicable to both the civilian and defence sectors.
THE LORENZO CAGNONI GREEN INNOVATION AWARD FOR START-UPS AND EXHIBITORS AT ECOMONDO
The aim of the Lorenzo Cagnoni Award for Green Innovation, named after Italian Exhibition Group’s long-standing President, is to promote businesses and new ventures that are transforming research, technology and creativity into solutions for the ecological transition. The Award was presented today to ten innovative projects: six proposed by exhibitors at Ecomondo – one from each sector of the event – and four by start-ups in the Innovation District. IEG’s President, Maurizio Ermeti, opened the ceremony with an official address and presented the plaques to the exhibitors alongside Alessandra Astolfi, Global Exhibition Director of IEG’s Green & Tech division, and Mauro Delle Fratte, Exhibition Manager at Ecomondo. The award-winning companies were Idro Group (Bioenergy & Agriculture), Sumus Italia (Circular and Regenerative Bio-Economy), Planetek Italia (Earth Observation and Environmental Monitoring), Idealservice Soc. Coop. (Sites & Soil Restoration), D.E.S.O.T.E.C. International N.V. (Water Cycle & Blue Economy) and Circular Materials (Waste as a Resource). The awarded start-ups were Rarearth, Nemoris S.R.L. (Benefit Corporation), Flugantia Lab and Limenet S.R.L. (Benefit Corporation).
Unmissable events scheduled for tomorrow:
- “Deforestation and international agreements, nature restoration and poplar cultivation, ecosystem services and carbon farming: let’s give value to forest resources and woody crops”, organised by Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee, Confagricoltura, the AlberItalia Foundation and the National Forest and Timber Cluster
- “National table of green jobs: a road map for work” and “Green Jobs&Skills Award – Alternance stories: best future vision”, organised by Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee
The full programme of Ecomondo 2026 events is available on the following link: www.ecomondo.com/eventi