Portoferraio, 14 November 2025 – On 11 and 12 November, the University of Siena and the University of Florence, respectively coordinator and partner for landscape design topics within the CO2 PACMAN project (COoperation and CO-Designing PArtnership for CliMAte Neutrality), met on Elba Island to launch the second year of activities. The project, funded by the Interreg Euro-MED programme, supports Mediterranean islands on their path toward climate neutrality, promoting sustainable and resilient communities.
CO2 PACMAN focuses on the co-creation of integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies to tackle climate change, through participatory processes, innovative technologies, and landscape-based planning tools that assess the capacity of the territory to host renewable energy systems, such as solar, wind, and marine energy.
After about a year since the first workshop, dedicated to gaining in-depth knowledge of the island, its landscape, and its greenhouse gas emission and absorption profile, the second phase of the project aims to imagine the island of the future: an Elba moving toward climate neutrality.
Meeting with local administrators and institutions – 11 November
On 11 November, at the headquarters of the Renewable Energy Community (CER) of Elba Island, teams from the University of Florence and the University of Siena met with representatives of local authorities and institutions, including delegates from five municipalities on the island, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, and the CER.
During the meeting, the CO2 PACMAN Tool, developed by the University of Siena within the project to support local communities, and particularly public administrations, in orienting future decarbonization policies, was presented and tested.
The Tool acts as a facilitation instrument for decarbonization planning. It provides operational support to estimate and assess policies, simulate scenarios, and identify the most effective solutions.
Specifically, it includes 28 territorial decarbonization policies that address the transition in an integrated manner: from energy efficiency and citizen awareness to improved public transport systems, from waste recycling to renewable energy production.
The University of Florence also showcased examples of European landscapes that have already successfully undertaken decarbonization pathways, along with student projects from the Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, offering concrete inspiration for discussion and the definition of future strategies.
“We were able to highlight the fundamental concept of our project, which is to support local administrations in their decarbonization planning. We carried out a first experiment with them to assess the current situation, identify emission levels, and let them measure the effectiveness of various possible actions for climate change mitigation,” explained Bastianoni.
During the meeting, local administrations also expressed the need for clearer tools and greater awareness to guide decision-making on the island’s decarbonization. The CO2 PACMAN project responds to this need by connecting research, local authorities, and businesses, and by offering public administrations practical support. Thanks to virtual reality, used to visualize the impact of interventions on the territory in advance, the project fosters more informed and shared decision-making.
In the afternoon, thanks to the hospitality of its President, the project partners visited the Rio Marina Geomineral Park, including a stop at a photovoltaic plant installed during Italy’s first Feed-In Tariff scheme, now a symbol of the island’s engagement in the energy transition.
Workshop with Liceo Foresi students – 12 November
The following day, project partners engaged the 4th and 5th-year classes of the Scientific High School and the 5th-year class of the Scientific and Applied Sciences Programme of the Foresi Institute in Portoferraio in a workshop dedicated to the use of the CO2 PACMAN Tool. Highly motivated and attentive, the students developed their own vision of the “island of the future,” addressing topics such as reducing private car use through more efficient public transport and an expanded cycling network; improving energy efficiency in homes; increasing rooftop solar installations, requiring greater flexibility in the permitting process; and openness to offshore wind energy, provided that it includes mechanisms for local community participation.
The students evaluated the tool very positively, describing it as “informative, enriching, and intuitive,” as it allows real-time visualisation of the effects of different policies on the island and enables the creation of future scenarios, letting them take on the role of policymakers for a day. Many demonstrated a deep understanding of the territory and its dynamics.
Upcoming events
The entire community is invited to participate in the event “The Island I Would Like”, scheduled for 22, 23, and 24 March 2026. The workshop will begin with an activity centred on citizen engagement and active participation, including an immersive landscape trekking and convivial outdoor moments. Over the following two days, citizens, public administrations, and local businesses will become key players in the ecological transition through a co-design activity dedicated to defining the island of the future. Participants will be able to test the CO2 PACMAN Tool directly, stepping into the role of decision-makers for a day and assessing the impact of various decarbonization policies. The event will conclude with a day of feedback and discussion on the project’s results. The outcomes will be shared not only with the local community and political representatives but also with regional authorities, which have expressed interest in enhancing and expanding the initiative, actively contributing to the co-design of climate-neutral territories.
Hon. Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio has already confirmed his attendance.
