Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Four projects were presented, including the energy efficiency of the ERP building in Via Padre Luigi Monti 

Milan, January 23 2021 - The Municipality of Milan participates in the European call “H2020-LC-GD-2020- Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future: Research and innovation in support of the European Green Deal”, within the framework program of the European Union for Horizon 2020 research and innovation, with four project proposals for which it offers itself as a partner. The resources assigned will mostly be the responsibility of the European Union, and partly co-financed by the Administration. The selection process by the European Commission is scheduled for June and, if successful, the projects will start next autumn. 

The aim of the call is to finance proposals that contribute to environmental, social and economic transformations to face the climate challenge and support the European Union in recovering from the health crisis linked to COVID-19. The call is also part of the European Commission's growth strategy presented in December 2019 called the "European Green Deal": an action plan that aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through a fair and inclusive transition, the achievement of a modern and sustainable economy and economic growth decoupled from the use of resources. 

The Municipality of Milan, in line with these objectives, recently adopted, in December, the Air and Climate Plan (PAC), i.e. the urban instrument aimed at reducing atmospheric contamination, contributing to the mitigation of climate change and to define adaptation strategies for the territory. 

Furthermore, the Administration, in agreement with MM SpA, has already defined a multi-year energy efficiency plan for the housing stock owned by the municipality, which includes the ongoing interventions in the building complexes of via San Bernardo and via Villani Giuffrè. 

THE PROJECTS 

The project proposal entitled "BEYOND ZERO" intends to promote the adoption of solutions for the energy requalification of existing buildings among owners (and managers) of residential properties. A regeneration also aimed at producing a positive social impact on the reference neighbourhood. The pilot action therefore consists in the redevelopment of the public residential building located in Municipality 9 in via Padre Luigi Monti 18-24. The intervention, foreseen in the three-year Public Works Program 2021-2023 already adopted by the Council, will be considered a priority if the proposal successfully passes the selection procedure and, therefore, co-financed by the Administration with a share of 3 million euros (total cost of the operation 3,950 million). The overall duration of the works is 42 months, with a scheduled start in the second half of 2021. 

The proposal entitled "REMOVE" aims to test innovative solutions, technologies and systems to reduce runoff pollution before it reaches the soil and other natural elements, to protect health and the environment from chemicals. The launch, with the construction of a European partnership of around twenty components, is expected in autumn, for a total duration of 48 months. Of the 12 million total budget, the Municipality will directly manage 420 thousand euros. 

The “CityBrAIn” project (the Municipality could have an allocation of 550 thousand euros out of a total budget of 15 million), aims to evaluate and test solutions aimed at defining a sustainable economic growth strategy for the city: development of a model for promote innovation and sustainability; indication of tools to guarantee a participatory decision-making process for citizens; creation of a governance model; designing incentives and financing methods to promote green solutions and investments in city infrastructure. Also in this case the construction of a European partnership is envisaged. If the project passes the selection procedures, its overall duration will be 5 years.

Finally, with "livEPositive", we intend to develop technologies and processes for the construction of positive energy buildings (Positive Energy Buildings - PEBs). In particular, the implementation of innovative technologies is envisaged on a building within the MIND - Milan Innovation District area in the territory of the Municipality. Support will be provided to the partnership so that the planned activities are in line with local, national and European initiatives, and the best practices and measures developed in the project will be collected so that they can be replicated with other initiatives of public interest. The overall duration is 48 months, and the funding expected for the Municipality is 161 thousand euros (total budget 18 million). 

“Although at the end of the mandate, we want to engage new and additional resources made available by the European Commission - says the councilor for social and housing policies Gabriele Rabaiotti -. The four projects express the directions and objectives that the municipal administration has set itself when designing the Pac. The energy efficiency measures for the Municipality's public housing started in recent years and, also thanks to Horizon 2020, strengthened for the near future, are part of the strategy of sustainability and care of the environment".