From urban microforests to green shelters, from “pocket” parks to green furniture: these are some of the 25 nature-based solutions identified by ENEA to reduce extreme heat, with several co-benefits including improved air quality, biodiversity, and citizens’ physical and mental well-being. This initiative is part of the project “Climate Adaptation – The Urban Heat Island Effect in the City of Rome”, funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument”, managed by the Reform and Investment Task Force, involving ENEA, Roma Tre University, the Ecologic Institute in Berlin, and PricewaterhouseCoopers – PwC Italy (coordinator).

ENEA has developed a process to produce biochar from vine pruning waste as part of the international project “REVINE”, funded with approximately €1.5 million, which involves fifteen Mediterranean partners including ENEA and CREA in Italy.

ENEA researchers are producing biochar, a carbon-rich material from the thermal degradation of biomass, which improves soil fertility and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. This process also generates synthesis gases that can be used for energy applications. Biochar is produced in the plants of the ENEA Trisaia Research Center (Matera), at both laboratory and pilot scale, to be used for viticulture applications in controlled settings and open fields. Researchers have also studied the impact of biochar on soil microorganisms.

ENEA has published a volume designed to assist companies and organizations implement industrial symbiosis, a process in which companies exchange by-products and waste, turning one company's waste into another's raw material.

The volume was created as part of the SUN (Symbiosis Users Network), the first Italian network for industrial symbiosis which involves 40 partners including universities, institutions, research organizations, companies and technology networks.

Over 100 kilometers of cycle paths in several european cities, from Turin to Lucca, from Belgrade to Istanbul. 20 recharging stations in 10 cities for electric bicycles, to be built with recycled urban waste: construction materials, tyres, end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and photovoltaic panels. This is what will be achieved with the ‘Smile City’ project (Sustainable materials for innovative, low emissions applications in the circular city), in which ENEA is participating together with 34 partners including CNR (The National Research Council), the University and the Politecnico of Turin. The overall budget of the project is around 10 million euros and the tasks are to be completed by the end of 2028.

About 50 participants from the academic and corporate worlds attended the fourth edition of the Hydrogen Summer School, organized by ENEA - Department of Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources (TERIN), in collaboration with the Italian Association of Chemical Engineering (AIDIC) and the Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment" of Sapienza University (DICMA), to examine hydrogen's potential as a pivotal clean energy carrier and analyse opportunities and critical issues in its supply chain.

The first Italian Smart Community has been launched in Anguillara Sabazia (Rome): an interactive energy ecosystem where members produce, consume and share renewable energy, while securely exchanging goods and services. The initiative aims to improve quality of life and sustainability, delivering benefits not only environmentally, but also economically and socially. The heart of the Smart Community is an innovative web-based tool called Local Token Economy (LTE), designed and developed by ENEA. LTE integrates energy-based rewards (tokens or virtual currency), blockchain technology (ensuring security and traceability), and a marketplace (an online platform for the exchange of goods and services).