The “Green Embassy” project at the Italian Embassy in Brasilia is entering its second stage, launched by Environment Minister Corrado Clini. The Minister is in Brazil to prepare the Rio+20 international conference on sustainable development, which will be taking place in June 2012.
The project envisages energy trading between the Italian diplomatic mission and the Brasilia Energy Company (CEB). It will include the collection and verification of data that will be presented at the international conference. The initiative will also see the “switch-on” event for the new LED electricity installation for the Embassy’s exterior
The Green Embassy project is part of the Italian Foreign Ministry’s wider environmental strategy, known as “Green Farnesina”. In Brasilia, both of the main project strands – energy and water – are at an advanced stage of implementation.
The photovoltaic plant, which includes 405 panels installed by Enel Green Power on the Embassy roof, is already producing a notable saving. So too is the “plant-filtration” system, which is designed as an attractive garden and was completed in early 2012 by a group of Italian companies led by Ecomacchine.
As part of the day dedicated to the Green Embassy project, a seminar on “The Green Economy and Rio+20” will be held at the Embassy, with 50 Italian and Brazilian companies taking part. Two Memorandums of Understanding will be signed during the event. The first, between the Embassy, the CEB and the University of Brasilia (UnB) is for the photovoltaic sector and the second, between the Embassy and the Federal District’s Environmental Recovery Company (CAESB), for water saving and plant-filtration.
The seminar will include three working groups (renewables, water and eco-architecture/social housing). During these sessions, the 50 participating companies will be able to assess opportunities for collaboration and to interact with representatives of the Brazilian institutions, at both the local and federal level.
Ambassador Gherardo La Francesca will also be receiving an award from Forum das Americas, a non-governmental organisation. The Embassy will also receive Green Building Plus Rina certification from the RINA-Italian Shipping Register Group, which has judged the Embassy building in Brasilia to be environmentally friendly.
