Building on outcomes and tools from the previous projects Interreg Med BLUE DEAL and COMPOSE Plus and the FP7 CityZen, CO2 Pacman will provide knowledge and tools to drive the implementation of integrated strategies and policies for the challenge of climate change mitigation and adaptation; with this purpose it will engage public authorities, citizens and stakeholders in co-creation of scenarios for the transition towards climate neutral islands.
Background
The Mediterranean area is one of the most affected territories by climate change: air and water temperature increase; extreme events of droughts, heat waves and flash floods; ecosystem health and biodiversity problems, implying also risks in food and energy security. CO2 Pacman directly refers to the common territorial challenge of establishing climate neutral economies in the Euro-Med context and worldwide by means of an integrated vision of territories’ transition to sustainable and resilient communities. Contextually, it promotes multi-purpose actions for climate change mitigation/adaptation, based on exploitation and promotion of local knowledge and assets, ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth, energy security and improved quality of life, demonstrating how these challenges are deeply interconnected.
Title: COoperation and CO-designing PArtnership for CliMAte Neutrality (CO2 PACMAN)
Funding programme:
Interreg Euro-MED
Timeframe:
01/2024 – 10/2026
(33 Months)
Budget: 2,8 millions of Euro
General objectives
CO2 Pacman will benefit from the different and complementary expertises of project partners and will foster transnational cooperation to create a favorable environment for knowledge increase and exchange, to empower innovation capacity of PAs and raise awareness of citizens on the opportunities of transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
Studying Approach
The project forecasts the following main innovative practices:
● CO2 Pacman Rooting Labs. Three day workshops in pilot islands (1st round) made of co-working and interactive sessions involving project partners and local stakeholders for onsite investigations, data collection, knowledge sharing and discussion on specific potential solutions.
● CO2 Pacman Tool. The Carbon Footprint of the island will be assessed and represented in terms of virtual forestland needed to absorb the equivalent amount of CO2 emission.
● Citizen Engagement. A set of activities, inspired to the BLUE DEAL “askyourcitizensonbe” tool, will be defined to let citizen be the main actors in the participatory process and contribute to identify best chances for transition to a low- carbon economy.
● Youth Think Thank. Engagement of young students of secondary schools and universities of pilot islands and beyond called to co-create and represent their vision of a net zero carbon future.
● Open Innovation Collaborative Action. Engagement of technical and technological companies called to send their proposals in the field of renewable energies and ecosystem based solutions.
● 3D virtual reality experience. 3D simulations in a virtual world, containing landscapes, location specific objects and 3D intervention elements to help PAs, stakeholders and citizens visualize and assess potential installations and interact within a virtual environment for a highly engaging immersive experience.
● CO2 Pacman “The Island I Would Like” Labs and transition Roadmap. Three-day workshops in pilot islands (2nd round) aimed at presentation and discussion of project results open to local stakeholders and citizens and synthesis of a climate neutral transition Roadmap
Partners
Ecodynamics Group is lead partner (LP) of this project which includes other 10 partners from 7 countries in the MED area:
- University of Siena - Italy (IT)
- University of Florence - Italy (IT)
- SDEWES Centre - Croatia (HR)
- CEEI Valencia - Spain (ES)
- EPLO - Greece (EL)
- GEO - Cyprus (CY)
- TUC-ReSEL - Greece (EL)
- SDC - Croatia (HR)
- CENER 21 - Bosnia Erzegovina (BA)
- GIITT - Bulgaria (BG)
University of Siena
Siena, Italy
University of Florence
Florence, Italy
SDEWES
Zagreb, Croatia
CEEI
Valencia, Spain
EPLO
Athens, Greece
GEOIMAGING
Nicosia, Cyprus
TUC
Crete, Greece
Split Dalmatia Region
Croatia
CENER 21
Association Center for Energy, Environment and Resources
Bosnia-Erzegovina
GIITT
Varna, Bulgaria
Associated partners
- Province of Livorno
- uRadio
- ARPAT
Meeting & Events | Kick off Meeting
CO2 PACMAN, the EU-funded project for the decarbonization of Mediterranean islands was officially launched.
The kick-off meeting of the CO2 PACMAN EU-funded project was held in Siena between March 20 and March 22. Its aim was to facilitate the transition towards climate neutrality and sustainable development in Mediterranean islands thanks to specific and fine-tuned decarbonization pathways.
The kick-off meeting allowed the partners to get to know each other and collaboratively interact to start working on the first phases of the project in the best way. To inspire their work, during the roundtable organized within the afternoon session of the second day, several success stories were presented as examples through the lenses of the actors that were involved into successful decarbonization projects in peculiar contexts such as the islands.
1st Rooting Lab Brač and 2nd Rooting Lab Crete
The 1st Rooting Lab of Co2Pacman held in Brač (Croatia) and the 2nd Rooting Lab in Crete (Greece) concluded with great success. These two events marked an important step forward in the journey toward a climate-neutral Mediterranean. Over six days (three in Brač and three in Crete) of intense collaboration and discussion, citizens, academics, SMEs, local authorities, and students actively participated in finding innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
