Etifor is a spin-off of the University of Padua, Italy, which works to fully valorise the benefits of the products and services provided by nature.

In December 2021, Etifor launched a tender for proposals to manage bodies of protected areas and Natura 2000 sites in the Lombardy Region of Italy. The tender is called ‘BioClima’ and the aim is to foster public-private partnerships to realise interventions for biodiversity conservation; climate change adaptation; and, the valorisation of the ecosystem services provided by forests, protected areas, and ecological networks of Lombardy. This initiative is the first in the world which allows citizens, businesses and public entities alike to grow new forests and protect existing ones in accordance with the highest forestry management standards through certification from the Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC-N001935).

BioClima covers 12 ecosystems and more information about each one can be found here: https://www.wownature.eu/en/business/bioclima/. NextEnergy Foundation is supporting BioClima’s work in the Campo dei Fiori National Park (“the Park”). Established in 1984, the Park covers approximately 6,300 hectares in the territory of 17 municipalities and 2 mountain communities in the Province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy. The project aims to restore a forest damaged by a severe fire in 2017 and a storm and flooding event the following year. It will achieve this through four intervention areas:

1. Clearing 19 ha of land damaged by the storm and replanting trees, notably chestnut trees, which are both protected species and a source of local income – the carbon removal of the restored and replanted forest areas is estimated at 5,000 tonnes CO₂ per year;
2. Monitoring water resources and identifying water safeguard areas to protect water springs in the whole Regional Park – over 300,000 people are expected to benefit from this;
3. Recreating the habitat for endangered bat species in order to increase their presence by at least 30%; and,
4. Certifying 200 ha under the FSC sustainable forest management standards, including the certification of ecosystem services generated by the project and the Park – this includes CO₂, biodiversity and water, amongst others.

The impacts of the project will be verified and accredited in accordance with the FSC. In addition, the valorisation of the ecosystem services and additional benefits generated by the totality of the projects is the largest initiative of this type at the EU level.

All interventions to restore the ecosystems in Campo dei Fiori will be undertaken by the end of 2023. The impacts can be tracked on this page from January 2023. NextEnergy Foundation’s contribution to conserving biodiversity and combating the climate crisis can be tracked on this page.

November 2022 Update: The project implementation officially began on 5th October 2022 with a kick-off meeting organised by the National Park where all project partners attended. The meeting was attended also by the two water utilities that will co-sponsor the water resource element of the project, ALFA and Lereti SPA. On 21st October 2022, Campo dei Fiori Park’s representatives attended the first training course about the FSC Certification and ecosystem services verification, organised by Etifor staff. Between now and April 2023, the Park representatives and a qualified forest technician will develop the executive project and request the necessary authorisations to begin working on the grasslands and chestnut groves in Spring.

Photograph credits: Archivio Parco Campo dei Fiori