Urban forests, green corridors, vertical farming, green roofs and permeable pavements are among the “Nature-based Solutions” (NBS) that can reduce mortality in urban areas by mitigating extremes temperatures both in summer and winter. This is the conclusion of an international study published in the journal Forests and carried out within European project Life VEG-GAP, coordinated by ENEA.

ENEA is developing an ultraviolet (UV) light-based technology to treat wastewater contaminated with nitrogen, phosphorus, pathogenic bacteria and emerging micropollutants, while promoting a sustainable management model in line with the principles of the circular economy. The innovation is part of a system of high-tech solutions being developed as partt of the INTECH4WATER project (funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region), coordinated by the Terra&Acqua Tech laboratory of the University of Ferrara Technopole. Project partners include the ENEA Environment Laboratory (ENEA-LEA) of the Bologna Technopole, the CIRI-FRAME center of the University of Bologna, ProAmbiente and the CNR-ISSMC of Faenza. Industrial partners are the HERA Group (with the Ferrara wastewater treatment plant), CIFO srl (Biolchim spa group), and Naturedulis srl.

Enhancing the reliability of ionizing radiation measurements in fields impacting humans and the environment is one of the goals of the European project GuideRadPros, in which ENEA participates with the National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI), in addition to the creation of a proper guide for the implementation of ISO 4037:2019 (the reference standard for dosimetry laboratories) and material for training practitioners in the field and the update of the standard in light of scientific advances.

The atmospheric visibility index in Italian national parks as a parameter for assessing the impact of air pollution: this is the basis of the "Visibility" project, coordinated by Arma dei Carabinieri - Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Units Command (CUFAA), with ENEA carrying out analyses on the collected samples.

ENEA is developing sustainable, 3D-printed foods that are nutrient-rich and potentially customizable to individual needs. These results were achieved within the framework of the NUTRI3D project , carried out by ENEA in collaboration with Rigoni di Asiago, EltHub (project coordinator), and with the support of CREA – Food and Nutrition Research Center.

ENEA and ItaliaMeteo, the Italian Agency for Meteorology and Climatology, have signed a five-year framework agreement to combine their expertise and establish a structured collaboration in the fields of climatology, meteorology, and marine modelling.