03 April 2013 - The LIFE Environment project, ‘ETA-BETA’ (LIFE09 ENV/IT/000105) has announced its final results.
Since September 2010, the project has been promoting the development of Eco-managed Industrial and Business Estates (EIBEs) and ecologically equipped productive areas (EEPAs) as local governance and policy tools for implementing the EU’s Environmental Technology Action Plan. The ETA-BETA approach offers an organisational model for the management of EIBEs, which consists of a set of operational instruments for area managers and for individual SMEs for implementing the European Commission’s Eco-Innovation Action Plan (EcoAP) at local level.
The project also demonstrated a governance model for the management of eco-areas (Carta di Bologna); regional governments in Italy agreed to the establishment of a national network and registry of EIBEs.
Another key outcome of the project was the production of a guideline with criteria and procedures for assessing the innovative eco-technologies that can be applied in EIBEs, in line with the EU’s Environmental Technology Verification programme (ETV).
Seven pilot areas were selected in Italy and Spain for the use of innovative technologies and techniques in order to improve their environmental management. Measures entailed the appointment of an environmental manager; promoting eco-efficiency in the use of raw materials and water resources; waste reduction/recycling/re-use; common environmental monitoring and auditing; and energy efficiency.
Cultural shift
Finally, the project has helped introduce a new eco-innovation culture in productive areas: the new approach has been proposed and applied for selecting, disseminating and transferring solutions and techniques, based on the joint management of the environmental aspects of industrial and business estates. Thanks to the role of the environmental manager of the area, SMEs have been helped and encouraged to make greater use of eco-technologies.
For more information, visit the project website: www.progettoetabeta.eu
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