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The role universities and cities can play in the EU’s Green Deal
Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal,
15
(1),
141-154
(2021)
Abstract
Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. To overcome these challenges, Europe has shaped a new strategy, the European Green Deal, to help the EU’s economy become sustainable. Much of its success will be determined by European cities where around 75 per cent of the European population live, work, travel and study. This paper considers European cities and their universities, in particular their strategic role in addressing societal and environmental challenges, training the younger generation, investing in research and engaging local communities in the transformational actions urgently needed. In particular, concrete actions and steps made by the University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO) in Italy to address environmental sustainability and social responsibility are presented in this paper.
Keywords: Green Deal; European Union (EU) policy; environmental challenges; sustainability; cities; universities
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Stefania Cerutti is an associate professor of economic and political geography at University of Piemonte Orientale in the Department of Economics and Business. Her research focuses on local and territorial development, cultural tourism, urban studies, inner and mountain areas and European project design. She is the promoter and director of the inter-departmental centre for tourism studies at her university, the UPOnTourism, Strategy, Research Centre for innovative and sustainable tourism. She is a member of the inter-disciplinary centre, UPO4Sustainability.
Enrico Boccaleri is an associate professor at the University of Piemonte Orientale in the Department of Science and Innovation Technology. He is part of the SusMat research group where he works on materials, synthesis and characterisation, matching production processes and properties that are sustainable for energy-intensive materials. He is the promoter and director of the Interdisciplinary Centre UPO4Sustainability, a member of the waste working group of the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS) and coordinator of the degree course in green chemistry.
Enrico Ferrero is an associate professor of physics of the earth system and circumterrestrial medium at the University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO). His main research interests are atmospheric physics, atmospheric boundary layer meteorology, turbulence, atmospheric dispersion modelling and physical and numerical models. He is the coordinator of the degree course in environmental studies and sustainable development at UPO. He is co-ordinator of the climate change working group of the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS).
