NEW CLIMATE ANALYSIS - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Moving to a competitive low carbon economy involves envisioning a new energy and climate future, . The Report, part of the outcome of the LoCaRe Interreg IVC Project, tried to find out Regions’ potential signals of transition towards a “low-carbon revolution” that can provide both prosperity and environmental security. It showed that LoCaRe Regions believe that key ingredients to this transition involve innovation in energy and technologies, and that a low carbon future is a smart future. They all seem to be positive and optimistic about the outcome of a low carbon transition (for society, the environment, and in particular for the economy), but to varying degrees. All LoCaRe regions seemed to be aware and active in the implementation of the EU “Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050” COM(2011)112 in their policy and most of them are trying to lead the transition process; some Regions already had national/regional low carbon Roadmap/strategy or specific regulation on LCE (directive, law, etc.) and have applied policies and practices specifically in the field of LCE , while others are implementing or have plans to do it, some at a local level. Additionally, LoCaRe Regions seemed to agree that a change in lifestyle and education is crucial for moving towards green thinking and increased consciousness of resource scarcity and its utilization. .first by understanding the framework, . Analysing the framework was a challenging but essential part of the analysis, providing a general socio- economic and environmental context as a basis for understanding the new climate. The report tried to explore the opportunity and threats from LCE for LoCaRe Regions, based on the answers of a questionnaire sent to the partners. Among the outcomes of this first step, the Analysis reported possible developments of unexplored market and business potential within Regions’s territories and economies, such as: potential for further energy efficiency and the green offshore sector; green tourism and production of solar boats, solar panels, wind mills, ICT green solutions; tidal energy, biogas production and bio-based economy on new raw materials, education of the labour force, aqua culture and aqua food; coast tourism, biogas production, geothermal energy, wind offshore in oil rig; e-mobility. Moreover, the Analysis reported concerning issues and potential negative consequences on Regions’ social, environmental, economic system, such as: air quality from increase of biomass power-plants); land use changes, land take, loss in rural biodiversity (i.e. from setting large photovoltaic power-plants on ground in high fertility agricultural areas); fuel vs food: risk of diverting farmland or crops for biofuels production in detriment of the food supply on a local/global scale; landscape change in historical centers and protected areas (i.e. solar panels in medieval cities centers, wind turbines in regional parks, photovoltaic panels changing rural landscape); water scarcity, loss in aquatic biodiversity (i.e. from the installation of new hydroelectric power-plants in small rivers, such as the Apennines’s ones); lack of proper infrastructures, as existing grids are still not “Smart Grids”, capable to connect and distribute the discontinuous energy production by renewables spread along the territory. An important remark that was highlighted in the framework considered (population, unemployment, gross regional product, infrastructure and energy systems, CO2 emissions) was the influence of the economic crisis, started in 2008 with effects also untill 2011, bringing the Regional system to a recession; a slight GRP increase is expected (figures in Emilia Romagna in 2013 will still be smaller than the GRP of 2007) and unemployment will keep increasing, expecting to peak in 2013. The crisis is affecting families and companies, leaving them with less capacity to find investment needed to modernise (their houses, their businesses) in the short run, and great uncertainty over how long it will take to recover. .therefore by exploring the transition potential with a BPs
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