Efficiency and sustainable development: challenges for business and government
Discussions at this National Interest event were kicked off with the observation that Italy needs a more systemic and cross-cutting culture of sustainability and efficiency: the former in order to build a green society, and the latter to achieve improved energy efficiency and a more prudent use of natural resources. To that end, it was deemed essential that a strategic plan be devised which takes the Italian public duly into account, with efforts made to raise wider awareness particularly with respect to energy costs.
The “green economy”: new opportunities for Italy
The key objective to emerge from the discussions at this National Conference was that of transforming a constraint into an opportunity. The green economy must be made the cornerstone of a new, more sustainable and enduring development model. It was observed that, in recent years, particularly in the wake of the protracted effects of the worst economic and financial crisis in recent history, the world has begun to stop treating the “environmental factor” as a possible limitation on freedom of enterprise, but rather to see it from a more comprehensive perspective.
Reconciling the environment and development. New ideas from the Y generation to beat weak economic growth
The theme of the Ninth Annual Conference of the Aspen Junior Fellows, held in Milan on May 7-8, was “Reconciling the environment and development. New ideas from the Y generation to beat weak economic growth”. The Conference proceedings were divided into three sessions which focused on: the ecological deficit and measures to establish cross-generational solidarity on environmental values; Italy’s energy strategies viewed from an international comparative perspective; and the environment and food security in a more crowded, hotter, and “flatter” world.