30 October last stage of the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - The fifth edition of the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development, the event that the Lombardy Region dedicates every year to dialogue with the territory on the transition towards a sustainable living system, will close in Milan on 30 October. The Milan event is the fifth stage of a journey that began on 13 September in Brescia and then continued in Varese (20 September), Sondrio (4 October) and Mantua (13 October).

The Forum represents the annual moment of reporting on the actions carried out within the framework of the Lombardy Protocol for Sustainable Development which, in its second edition (2023-2027), brings together more than 60 public or collective stakeholders who have committed themselves to involving the territory in the achievement of sustainable development objectives. The signatories of the Protocol organised the stages of the Forum together with the Region. The leitmotif of the fifth Forum is the circular economy, a transversal and concrete theme that concerns production models, from eco-design to waste management, in all sectors of the Lombardy economy. At the same time, circular economy means awareness of the limits of resources - a cultural change and in daily behaviour to learn how to build wellbeing while respecting ourselves, other people and the planet. The appointment in Milan, held at Palazzo Lombardia, serves to draw conclusions from the Forum and the four previous stages, each dedicated to a specific aspect of the circular economy.

At the 13 September meeting in Brescia, which kicked off the 2024 edition of the Forum, the focus was on the circular transition in companies, to explore the needs and opportunities of new production models. The event was attended by regional councillors Giorgio Maione (Environment and Climate) and Guido Guidesi (Economic Development). "There is no environmental sustainability without economic and social sustainability," said Maione at the event. "The circular economy, innovation and research are the keys to continuing to grow, and to do so sustainably, Lombardy has all the indicators above the European average, from differentiated waste collection to the recovery of materials and energy, and this is only possible thanks to the virtuous behaviour of businesses and citizens," the councillor continued, adding that "the whole world looks to Lombardy as a model of sustainable development. Last year we signed the Lombardy protocol on sustainability with the economic and associative world. This year we have chosen to go to the territories to write the path together'.

On 20 September, it was the turn of Varese, where the focus was on research and innovation, meeting the world of science and culture to explore its fundamental contribution to innovation, raising awareness and promoting behavioural change. The governor, Attilio Fontana, the councillor for the Environment and Climate, Giorgio Maione, and the councillor for Culture, Francesca Caruso, attended the event. On that occasion, President Fontana stated that he 'looks at this sector with such great attention that we wanted to add the adjective "sustainable" to our Regional Development Plan. It is clear that an objective of this kind can only be achieved with the maximum sharing of all the actors involved. So we welcome moments such as these, which allow top experts in the sector to sit down at the same table, who, even today, have confirmed that they consider sustainability to be a great opportunity. "Innovation and research are the keys to continuing to grow economically and to do so sustainably," Maione added.

On 4 October, the Forum moved to Sondrio, where the focus was on sport and tourism, which can contribute to health, social cohesion and well-being by evolving towards sustainable lifestyles. In view of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, the meeting was an opportunity to take stock of this important event, which will be proof of how environmental sustainability can be combined with sport and tourism. "The Winter Olympics are setting a new standard of attention to sustainability in sports events and infrastructure. Lombardy will give a great demonstration to the whole world of what sustainable development is,' said the region's councillor for the environment and climate, Giorgio Maione. 'Tourism that limits the impact on the territory is the key to sustainable growth. The circular economy fits into this vision as a powerful tool to reduce the impacts of activities without limiting their value," he added. "The 2026 Olympics will be, for the first time in history, a widespread Olympics because the goal was to make them sustainable, and thus enhance existing facilities without creating 'cathedrals in the desert'. In fact, the works used for the Olympic Games will remain as a legacy even after the Olympic event,' Regional Councillor for Local Authorities, Mountains, Energy and Water Resources, Massimo Sertori, said on the same occasion.