Energy transition: Lombardy is focusing on sustainability, innovation and infrastructure

Lombardy is stepping up the pace of the energy transition. In recent years, the Region has mobilised around 65 million euros in public funding, which has enabled the mobilisation of almost 275.5 million euros in private investment. These are some of the figures presented during the conference ‘Energy Transition and Climate Change: Sustainability and Innovation for the Lombardy Region’, organised by the Regional Council as part of the ‘Lombardia in Pole Position’ initiative at the Ultimate Hospitality venue at the Monza National Circuit during the Grand Prix.

To tackle a challenge – which is not merely environmental – that requires a major industrial, infrastructural and technological transformation, Lombardy has supported 548 businesses in their green and digital transition. This is a process in which sustainability goes hand in hand with the adoption of new technologies: according to the latest available data, in 2025, 19.3 per cent of businesses in the North-West with at least 10 employees were using artificial intelligence technologies, whilst 68.1 per cent of businesses nationwide were purchasing intermediate or advanced cloud computing services.

As part of this process, the Region has adapted its regulatory framework to meet new development needs. A first step was the 2022 regional law on Renewable Energy Communities, which aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 through the expansion of renewable energy sources and greater energy efficiency. In 2025, Regional Law 11/2025 on climate change was then introduced, setting out guidelines for an approach based on two pillars: mitigation and adaptation, with a focus on enhancing the resilience of local areas.

“The Climate Law makes us the first region in Italia and Europe to introduce green budgeting – that is, the systematic and integrated planning of all regional budget resources to address the challenges of climate change, which affects not only the environment but all aspects of daily life, from health to infrastructure, from production chains to transport,” explained Giorgio Maione, Regional Councillor for the Environment and Climate, adding that over the last five years the Region has invested 800 million euros in the energy and environmental transition, 630 million on improving the energy efficiency of public buildings and housing, and 160 million on reducing atmospheric emissions.

Giacomo Cosentino, Vice-President of the Regional Council, also emphasises the importance of collaboration between institutions, businesses and citizens. “Lombardy has chosen to support change through incentives, investment and practical measures, because innovation and sustainability must become drivers of growth, competitiveness and employment,” explained Cosentino, the bill’s principal sponsor.