Digitalisation Makes Water Smart
“Network” is a key word for our time, but few networks are as deeply rooted in the territory as irrigation systems. Until now, however, the thousands of kilometres of canals, embankments...
EU Council: the ETS stands firm, but the way is open for changes
The European Council was adjourned during the night of 19–20 March after a much broader debate than anticipated. What was supposed to be a summit on reviving competitiveness instead turned int...
Europe cannot afford to weaken its water protection laws
This article is part of the thematic channel The Water Observer: subscribe to our newsletter and receive exclusive contents from the world of water Europe’s water crisis is no longer a warnin...
Water as a target in the Iran war
This article is part of the thematic channel The Water Observer: subscribe to our newsletter and receive exclusive contents from the world of water The recent wave of strikes in the Third Gulf War ...
Massimo Centemero: “With urban carbon farming, municipalities at the core of a tangible transition”
Carbon farming originated in the fields. That is where, in recent years, an idea that agricultural soil can become an active ally in mitigating climate change has taken root: through targeted agrono...
Growing the city: the urban carbon farming revolution
Cities account for less than 3% of the Earth’s surface, and yet they are responsible for over 70% of global CO₂ emissions. For decades, this imbalance has fuelled an uncomfortable narrative:...
Urban agriculture as climate infrastructure
Despite the current period of great international instability, Europe now holds a unique position: it is the continent that has produced the most ambitious regulatory framework for the ecological tr...
Urban carbon farming: cities at the forefront of the climate challenge
When we speak of carbon farming, the collective imagination instinctively conjures up images of agricultural expanses, farmland and pastures. Yet there is a less explored – and in some ways mo...
The CRCF Regulation: a viable alternative for Europe
The carbon market is experiencing a crisis of legitimacy. Years of inconsistency in standards, conflicts of interest between developers and certifiers, and inadequate MRV systems have eroded trust i...
Hillary Rosner, reconnecting humanity and nature in a fractured world
Journalistic coverage on the climate crisis and its environmental consequences has often overlooked the change in land use and its effects on wildlife movement. This is the focus of Roam: wild ...
Rossella Sobrero: “Good governance lends credibility to corporate sustainability”
Governance, the most often overlooked of the ESG factors, is in fact essential to the success of the other two. “Without solid governance, it is difficult to define and implement effective env...
Nextchem expands textile portfolio with new spandex technology
The Italian engineering group Maire has announced a strategic expansion in the sustainable textile sector through its subsidiary Nextchem. The company introduced NX Conser PolyFlexTM, a new technolo...
ESG as a factor in industrial resilience: the challenge for Italian companies
ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) values are structural elements in the strategy of a rising number of Italian companies. On the one hand, this is the effect of regulatory requirements, e...
A province teaming up for sustainability: Trentino shares its story
The autonomous province of Trento, with the support of Trentino Sviluppo, has embarked on a journey to become the first territory with an ESG rating in Italy. A project that will be fully opera...
Lite-Soil: underground irrigation and water efficiency to tackle the climate crisis
From 18 to 20 February, Milan hosted the 10th edition of MyPlant & Garden, Italy's most prominent trade fair for horticulture, gardening and landscaping. The event, media-partnered by Renew...
European Carbon Farming Summit 2026: Padova is the place to be
Sold out. The first clear sign of success from this year's European Carbon Farming Summit (ECFS), now in its third edition, which will be held from 17 to 19 March 2026 at the Padova Congress Ce...
Gases between geopolitics and science: the interviews of RM61
The Think Tank section of Renewable Matter #61, devoted to gases, offers a broad perspective covering the history of science, climate policy and the geopolitics of energy. We start with a long ...
Green Hydrogen: Revolution or Illusion?
Excitement surrounding green hydrogen is fading. A string of project cancellations and suspensions, particularly in the transport sector, has made 2025 an annus horribilis for many companies in...
An Orderly Chaotic World
Some of the most fascinating explanations are often found in the etymology of a word. When Jean Baptiste van Helmont first coined the word “gas” in the 17th century, he took it from &chi...
Europe’s heating and cooling dilemma: can district energy deliver?
From Brussels - Heating and cooling already account for half of Europe’s energy use, and most of that demand is still met by fossil fuels. At the same time, an amount of heat equivalent t...