We are pleased to share, also in our online magazine, the interview published in issue 126 of Living is Life magazine, edited by Nicoletta Romano, in which Alessandro Ferrario, CEO of Archiverde, explains how the green economy is the key to a more ecological future.
Read the original article here
The deforestation of the planet is one of the main causes of the deterioration of the climate balance, and the countdown to catastrophe is speeding up. Are there practical solutions to avert the danger?
We asked Alessandro Ferrario, CEO of Archiverde, a Varese-based company that is a leader in garden design and green tout court.
What are the current proposals for a greener future?
Through the Kyoto Protocol 2030 and the Paris Agreement 2050, a drastic reduction in CO2 must be achieved, with the former at -60% and the latter at around zero. Increasingly, the public’s attention is shifting towards eco-sustainability and there is tangible interest from investment funds that are opening their doors to companies with certified sustainability budgets in order to bring them into ESG (environmental sustainable governance).
In fact, your company has been working in this direction for some time, implementing bamboo cultivation. Why is this plant so important?
The ‘moso’ bamboo or, phyllostachis pubescens, has the particularity of having acclimatised well in the places where we plant forests, namely in the Grosseto area. Its extremely fast growing and renewing rhizomatous root produces young saplings that can grow up to 2 cm per day – if properly grown, of course. The result is a sequestration of CO2 from the environment that is unparalleled with other plant species. A normal deciduous or coniferous forest absorbs around 7 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year from the atmosphere. One of our bamboo groves, with the same surface area, deducts 230 tonnes per hectare per year. That’s why we chose this great plant. Without forgetting the various uses of this plant: sprouts in the food sector, in cosmetics due to its high antioxidant content, as well as the use of wood as an adjuvant of up to 50% in ecofriendly plastics such as the production of eco-friendly tableware, textiles and much more. This plant is a real marvel!
Archiverde, which has always been sensitive to the environment, how do you propose to those who want to move towards eco-sustainability?
Our company is able to offer a realistically tangible solution to counteract relentless global warming. The ecological transition was approached with the seriousness due to such a sensitive topic. Through close cooperation with a leading university institute, we proceed by analysing the processes, the means of production and all CO2 emission factors related to the specific company. Stilato poi il bilancio dell’impatto sull’ambiente, ovviamente espresso in tonnellate di CO2 per anno, procediamo nella proposta di riduzione della stessa attraverso l’utilizzo delle piante.
How?
By proposing vertical green facades, for example, which not only take down CO2 but also insulate and reduce the fine dust produced by companies. Suggesting green roofs that, in addition to the countless advantages of vertical greenery, can boast of cushioning and promoting the gradual elimination of the countless water bombs that have been scourging our summers in recent years, significantly affecting the hydraulic invariance ratio in force in Lombardy. Sometimes the combination of the roof garden with photovoltaic panels becomes sublimating to the final result. Finally, if all this is not enough, we supplement it with certificates known as carbon credits, i.e. tonnes of CO2 sequestered from the environment by forests of mossy bamboo grown in Italy (Grosseto and its province – in Piedmont’s Cuneo area) according to the most stringent organic standards, also certified by the university institute. A blockchain will tie the purchase of the forest part to each individual buyer to avoid summary interpretations.
What is the situation regarding CO2 emissions in the province of Varese?
The consequence of air quality is fundamental to understanding the degree of sustainability of a territory’s development. Anthropogenic and especially industrial phenomena are the main influencing factors along with traffic and heating. In particular, the emissions of certain pollutants released into the atmosphere are considered, such as: SO2 (sulphur dioxide), NO (nitrogen oxides), VOC (volatile organic compounds) CO (carbon monoxide). PM 10 (fine particulate matter). The emission contribution of our province can be defined as lower than that of the other Lombardy provinces, probably due to the lack of heavy steel production and large energy production plants. The emissions of the province of Varese are about 7% of the total Lombardy emissions and 2% lower than the ratio of the Varese population.
Have you noticed a greater awareness of the problem on the part of the local industry or does everything remain at the stage of Greta’s blabla?
There is great awareness of this and we are seeing an exponential growth in requests which, as always, makes Milan a pioneer, followed closely by the other Lombard provinces. LIVING FOR ARCHIVERDE The green bamboo labyrinth at Villa Mirabello by Archiverde, specially created for Varese Design Week 2021. For the same surface area, one of our bamboo groves can remove 230 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year.
Romano, N. (2022, Number 126) “La Green economy passes by Archiverde“, Living is Life, 62-63.
