On the web the General States of the Green Economy 2020

(ANSA) - ROME, 02 NOV - Renewable sources that are growing but with difficulty, recycling in difficulty, quality agri-food in distress, urban regeneration projects slowed down.

But also a boom in the sale of electric cars and bicycles.

This is the balance sheet of the green economy in Italy in the year of the pandemic.

The president of the Foundation for Sustainable Development, former minister Edo Ronchi, will present it on Tuesday 3 at the opening of the States General of the Green Economy, this year in virtual form.

The event is held as every year as part of Ecomondo Key-Energy, the Rimini green economy fair, which this year is also on the web.

The States General are organized by the National Council of the Green Economy, made up of 69 business organizations, with the support of the Foundation for Sustainable Development.

At the center will be a package of proposals, put forward by the National Council, to put the Green Deal at the center of the post-pandemic revival.

According to the report that Edo Ronchi will expose, the first half of 2020 was characterized by an unprecedented decline in energy demand, which also translated into a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: in the first half of 2020 they decreased by 17% compared to in the same period of 2019. Renewables were the only energy sources that continued to grow, with an increase of 3% in the first half of this year.

However, the decline in investments in 2020 in new photovoltaic and wind power plants is worrying.

In the production of special waste, a decrease of 25% is estimated in 2020 compared to the previous year.

The production of urban waste has had a minor decline, between 10 and 14%.

There have been significant difficulties in recycling, due to the reduction in plant activities, but above all due to the lowering of prices and the lack of market outlets for secondary raw materials.

Quality agri-food has suffered from the decline in exports and the blockade of restaurants and tourism.

In 2020 a contraction in agri-food purchases is expected by around 24 billion euros.

For mobility, there have been notable drops in urban and rail public transport, but also in sharing mobility.

On the other hand, sales of bicycles and electric cars increased, and in April there was a real boom in purchases: 12.1% of the total sold.

On the Green City side, urban regeneration projects have slowed down.

(HANDLE).