Foundation and University of Brescia
During today's morning, Thursday 28 October 2023, UNA Foundation and the University of Brescia were the protagonists of the event dedicated to the new opportunities for research, planning and actions opened by the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Restoration of Nature. The debate took place as part of the initiatives of Fabbrica del Futuro - Parco dell'Acqua, Largo Torrelunga 7, Brescia -, a pavilion created to express the synthesis of the various best practices of the companies that won the "Ideas Competition", the project promoted by Confindustria Brescia among its associated companies. The European Parliament's proposed regulation therefore paves the way for the restoration and maintenance of a wide range of ecosystems present within the European Union by 2050, with measurable results by 2030 and 2040: in addition to contributing significantly active in addressing biodiversity loss and restoring nature to good health, the proposal allows the EU to demonstrate global leadership in nature protection. This fully meets the objectives of the UNA Foundation, promoter of the meeting together with the University of Brescia, which is committed to creating a new environmental supply chain, as well as concrete projects for the protection of biodiversity and conservation of natural balances.
Debate and comparison
The event was organized as a moment of debate and comparison between the academic, political and business worlds, with the alternation of various exponents from each field. During the round table, there were interventions by professors Gianni Gilioli, Head of the Agrofood Research Hub for the University of Brescia, and Roberta Pedrazzani, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Applied Ecology, Head of the Industrial and Environmental Analysis Laboratory for the University of Brescia, Dr. Fabio Astori, Vice President of Confindustria Brescia, Ecological Transition and Safety, Dr. Antonella Labate, member of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione UNA, and Dr. Marina Berlinghieri, Head of Institutional Relations - Foundation A. To conclude, the speech by Dr. Michèle Pezzagno, Director of the University Research and Documentation Center for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (CRA2030), University of Brescia.
A moment of sharing
“Fondazione UNA was created to be a place for meeting, discussion and, above all, exchange of projects” introduces Maurizio Zipponi, President of Fondazione UNA. “In this spirit, together with the University of Brescia we have chosen to promote a moment of sharing and discussion, to explore the opportunities given by the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the Restoration of Nature on the management of biodiversity”. “For us at Fondazione UNA, the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Restoration of Nature is the completion of a path started some time ago” declared Antonella Labate, member of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione UNA during the round table. “Man cannot be perceived as external to the ecosystem, he is an integral part of it, and we are optimistic about the role that man can play in biodiversity restoration actions. This regulation gives us a further opportunity to take responsibility in our relationship with nature and as human beings."
Measuring biodiversity
“We must focus on understanding how biodiversity works, to guarantee the future of man and nature itself. And it is difficult to understand what Nature is. The EU has some great insights, but there is still a lot to do in building a scientifically based path. Biodiversity is the engine of the ecological transition, but we must first understand what it is and how it works in order to intervene" adds Gianni Gilioli, Head of Agrofood Research Hub for the University of Brescia. “Measuring current biodiversity is one of the objectives” intervenes Roberta Pedrazzani, Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Applied Ecology, Head of the Industrial and Environmental Analysis Laboratory for the University of Brescia. “Talking about biodiversity means doing it at different levels, we operate through toxicology by quantifying a series of elements of nature: bioaccumulation, doses of potentially harmful pollutants, all elements that must be monitored in conjunction with or before, for example, the reintroduction of especially in nature." “As a member of Confindustria we must be able to support the ecological transformation in all its aspects” declares Fabio Astori, Vice President of Confindustria Brescia, Ecological Transition and Safety. “We entrepreneurs from Brescia are at an advantage because we are already very attentive to Nature, but we must commit ourselves to ensuring that this commitment becomes a real cultural movement, and create tools and solutions for the academic and scientific world”.