Climate and Sustainability Foundation

Since 2004 the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze has been supporting the activity performed by the Fondazione per il Clima e la Sostenibilità, with the intention of contributing to a better living environment and an ecologically sustainable development of the industries engaged in the agri-foodstuffs field. The Foundation works to identify instruments and knowledge to enhance the environment, also assessing the requirements of enterprise, the resources and the potential of the entire territory as well as its production thresholds. It also aims to propose applicable innovative strategies.

There is a project in progress which hinges on the identification of tools relating to the environmental quality, resources and potential of the entire Tuscan territory, with a view to spreading knowledge within the sector. The main actions envisaged are knowledge transfer, innovation, training and communication, engaging the active presence in the field of entrepreneurs, organisations, consumers and public sector officials.

Priority aims include: the production of local wine using barriques made from timber from local forests, the sustainable agronomic management of the Parco Agricolo della Piana and the reorganisation of the Tuscan wool production chain.
The shared intention is to promote and develop a local economy and stimulate new opportunities of employment.

The project is oriented towards three sectors dealing with the concept of environmental and social sustainability in different ambits.

In the agricultural sector the citizens make their contribution in the field, favouring benefits for the valorisation of the territory. Energy and water consumption and CO2 emissions are evaluated using special systems of measurement. Special training courses and seminars have also been launched to qualify personnel to work in this sector.

In the textiles sector attention is focused on valorising the currently underdeveloped production of wool by reorganising the sheep’s wool textile chain and training sheep-shearers to work in the local area.

In the forestry sector activity is aimed at fostering and evaluating the use of wine casks made from chestnut wood from the Chianti forests as an alternative to the use of imported materials. Training courses will be activated in this area too.

To date the commitment of the Ente Cassa has been of around 2 million euro.