ECO-CLUSTER - Environmental COoperation
model for Cluster
LIFE09 ENV/IT/000188
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e Contact details:
Project Manager: Giuseppe VIGNALI
T el: +39 0585 9 4 7 2 0 0
Fax: +39 058 5948060
Email: giuseppe.vignali@parcoappennino.it
Project description:
Background
Italy’s Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park is a high nature value area
situated between the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is surrounded
by large industrial and urban conurbations that exert pressures on the park,
thereby requiring the area’s authorities to proactively seek solutions for
harmonising demands by ecological and socio-economic stakeholders. SMEs play a key role in this sustainable development process but some SMEs face
particular difficulties and can traditionally find it harder to comply with
environmental legislation than larger firms. In general, the smaller the company,
the more difficult it is. Although there is a cost implication in compliance,
companies that do take action can benefit from lower energy bills and greater
efficiency in their operations.
Objectives
The main objective of the ECO-CLUSTER project was to improve the
environmental footprint of SMEs operating in the national park area. A parallel
purpose aimed to help improve the competitiveness of local businesses. Such
dual goals would be achieved by preparing and implementing an ‘Action Plan for
the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme for SMEs (ECAP
Programme (COM/379/2007)’. This green-growth business model was based on a cluster approach, which
included SMEs and public authorities within a public-private environmental
management partnership. Its role involved operating various voluntary
instruments tailored to the individual needs of different cluster members.
Support was to be provided to help cluster members carry out audits certifying
compliance with environmental legislation and regulations. Special attention was
provided for the tourism sector via support to improve energy efficiency and
reduce emissions among members of the ‘Cerreto Laghi’ tourism cluster.
Expected results included: Implementation of an ECO-CLUSTER environmental management model;
Preparation of a database containing approximately 100 clusters in Italy and
the rest of Europe;
Reinforcement of local capacity to create integrated environmental policies
and to make them more accessible to SMEs;
Raising of SME awareness at a local level about environmental management
legislation, associated issues and opportunities;
Reduction of administration and consultancy costs for the adoption of
voluntary environmental management tools (EMAS, Ecolabel, GPP, FSC) by
SMEs.
Results
The ECO-CLUSTER project achieved all its main aims by succeeding in both
designing and implementing a multi-discipline environmental management
model (ECO-CLUSTER). The model involves a clustered partnership of SMEs and
Public Authorities. Together they cooperate (within a mutually agreed and
integrated environmental policy) to voluntarily run a diverse and accessible range
of environmental management instruments, all of which carefully targeted to the
cluster’s needs. Initial actions created the envisaged database of approximately 100 similar
clusters covering Italy and other parts the EU. This new knowledge informed the
project teams’ work programme, which led to a baseline assessment of the
cluster’s environmental performance, along with an accompanying cost-benefit
analysis. The latter highlighted positive findings concerning governance of the
project area, particularly in terms of more efficient working relations between
cl uster par tners a n d re d u ce d en v i ro n m e n t a l p r o b l e m s f r o m t o u r i s m . A toolkit of advice and guidance was prepared to help the cluster members to:
share their common environmental programme; embrace ‘audit cultures’ and
appreciate the value of such diagnosis; as well as comply with environmental
regulations. Information tools explained how to undertake an Initial
Environmental Analysis and other handbooks, management procedures,
operating instructions, registration documents, and administration materials
were developed too. These were prepared as flexible tools that could fit with the
cluster members’ differing needs. An Information point and training services
were also funded to assist SMEs during their compliance with environmental
regulations and legislation. Key outcomes from the project work included increasing environmental
awareness and commitment among the cluster’s public and private sectors. The
cluster’s sharing of their common environmental programme helps its members
to embrace ‘audit cultures’ and appreciate the value of such diagnosis, as well as
comply with environmental regulations. It has also led to improvements in sustainable tourism via encouragement of
resource-efficiency techniques like energy savings, sustainable mobility and
waste management. Social and economic benefits resulting from such project
actions for the Cerreto cluster are anticipated in the long term.
The cluster itself does not act as an official environmental certification body.
Instead its role focuses on using its toolkit to help its members through the
various steps involved in becoming certified by acknowledged standards such as
EMAS or Ecolabel. ECO-CLUSTER’s environmental management model thus can
be considered to represent a Green Action Plan under ECAP, and the LIFE
project’s model will be submitted in 2014 to the Italian Ecolabel and Ecoaudit
Committee as an example of a clustered EMS. Useful lessons learned during the project include confirmation that certification
standards can be too costly for SMEs and this hinders potential improvements in
their environmental performance. Sharing costs, like audit fees, through a
cluster, or similar collective approach, can help overcome financial obstacles to
increasing SME’s environmental performance. Cooperation can also help mobilise
new resources e.g. the ECO-CLUSTER mobilised more than € 200 000 that, most
probably, would not have been used for environmental improvements in the area. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report
and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
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Environmental issues addressed:
Themes
Environmental management - Integrated management
Keywords
integrated management‚ urban area‚ public-private partnership‚ environmental
management Natura 2000 sites
Not applicable
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Beneficiaries:
Coordinator
Type of organisation
Description
Partners
Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
Park-Reserve authority
The beneficiary is a national park authority
responsible for the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano
National Park. CCFS - Consorzio Cooperativo Finanziario per
lo Sviluppo Municipality of Collagna, Italy
Istituto Delta Ecologia Applicata Srl, Italy
Certiquality Srl, Italy Top
Administrative data:
Project reference
Duration
Total budget
EU contribution
Project location
LIFE09 ENV/IT/000188
01-OCT-2010 to 31-MAR -2014
934,967.00 €
466,358.00 €
Emilia-Romagna(Italia),Toscana(Italia)
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Read more:
Brochure
Title: "CERRETO LAGHI - Tourist destination
and sustainable town in the Appennines"
Year: 2014 No of pages: 2 Brochure
Title: "CERRETO LAGHI - Destinazione turistica
e città sostenibile nell’Appennino" Year: 2014
No of pages: 2 Project web site
Project's website
Publication: After-LIFE
Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Communication Plan
Year: 2014 No of pages: 16 Publication: After-LIFE
Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Communication Plan
Year: 2014 No of pages: 16 Publication: Guidelines-Manual Title: "REPORT SUGLI ASPETTI AMBIENTALI E
PROGRAMMA DI MIGLIORAMENTO DEL
CLUSTER CERRETO - Azione 10" Year: 2014
Editor: Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino
Tosco-Emiliano No of pages: 36 Publication: Layman report
Title: Layman report Year: 2014 No of pages: 12 Top
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data R e a d m o r e