Techne Consulting, partner of the I-CHANGE project and leader in the Task Benchmarking behavioral changes: apportionment of carbon and environmental footprint is particularly involved in the activities of the assessment of air pollutant emissions and the calculation of the footprint at an international level with its involvement in the EMEP /EEA Task Force on emission inventory and projections (next meeting in April in Oxford) and locally at regional level in Italy. Techne Consulting has been involved in these activities since the 80s of the last century with the CORINAIR project.
In particular Techne Consulting is currently carrying out in Italy some air pollutants and greenhouses gases regional emissions inventories (Tuscany, Liguria and Lazio Regions) and recently finalized some others (Sicilia, Campania, Umbria Regions). In the case of the Liguria region, this activity could have a direct impact on the project’s activities where the emissions already provided by the region with reference to 2016 could be updated to 2021 and contribute to the knowledge of the territory of the project’s Genova LivingLab.
In general, the knowledge of pollutant’s emission mechanisms and of the technologies for their limitation is a crucial element in involving citizens and in modifying their behaviour. These information must be integrated with the air quality monitoring because they allow us to associate knowledge of the state of the environment with knowledge of the determinants of pressure on the environment. For example, in relation to air pollution from fine dust, they allow us to understand how the wood-fired domestic heating sector is the main source of emissions. In this sector, in which we are very active, the contribution of the human factor to emissions is also very important. The way the equipment is run and the stoves and fireplaces are loading, appliances and equipment replacement and maintenance (flues maintenance for example) are all behaviors that make the difference. Monitoring the environment by citizens is necessary but changing behavior is essential to make a difference.
By Techne Consulting