UmbriaSostenibile podcast

<p><strong>Umbria Sostenibile – Episode 1</strong></p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>We live in a time when words such as development, future, environment, and participation are frequently discussed in the public debate. But how often do we actually stop to consider what they mean today? And above all, who they are addressing?</p><p>This podcast was created within the Umbrian Network for Sustainable Development, a project promoted by the Regione Umbria to encourage the adoption of more coherent and sustainable public policies.</p><p>Together with ARPA Umbria, the University of Perugia, the University for Foreigners with the WARREDOC centre, ANCI Umbria, FELCOS Umbria, Sviluppumbria, and the Umbria Technological Park. It is an initiative that aims to build more effective and integrated governance, capable of connecting and bringing together regional institutions, municipalities, territories, and local stakeholders around a shared goal: sustainable development.</p><p>But that's not all. This process is also intended to give tangible value to the active participation of new generations by entrusting young people with the creation of innovative and inclusive communication tools, especially those able to speak to the present moment. Supporting this vision is the University for Foreigners of Perugia, which contributed to the creation of this podcast by providing a space that bridges memory and experience, present and future vision.</p><p>My name is Italo Carmignani. I have spent my life as a journalist. I have seen cities grow and forests disappear. I have written about progress, but also about its costs.</p><p>And now more than ever, I reflect on a word that I hear everywhere, often overused: sustainability. But what does sustainable development truly mean? Is it just a trend or a real direction for the future?</p><p>And above all, how do young people, how do new generations envision it? In fact, to truly understand how new generations imagine it, I will not be travelling alone. At my side is Sofia, a university student, a voice of a generation that wants to be heard and to take centre stage.</p><p>Because they have much to say—indeed, much to contribute.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Hello Italo. My name is Sofia Abategiovanni, I am about to graduate in International Studies for Sustainability and Social Security at the University for Foreigners of Perugia.</p><p>Today I speak as a student, but also on behalf of many young people who, like me, find themselves having to live in and build their own future in a time full of uncertainties: anxiety about climate change, worsening inequalities, and wars that seem never-ending. For us, sustainability is not a trend.</p><p>Nor is it a slogan—on the contrary, it is a hope, and therefore a necessity, and a responsibility, I would say. We do not settle for half-measures: we demand coherence, inclusion, transparency, and above all, we demand to be present, to participate and propose ideas.</p><p>Often, amidst all of this, we feel overwhelmed: the problems seem too great, too complex, too fast-paced.</p><p>And above all, out of control. But it is out of this awareness that a new resilience grows, an energy born of frustration and the determination to change course.</p><p>Personally, I dream of a tomorrow radically different from today: a future in which decisions restore rather than harm, include rather than exclude, where the three dimensions of sustainability are not disconnected spheres but where environment, social justice, and economic balance are interconnected under a single vision—the sustainable one.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>This is quite a challenge for those of us from another generation. But let's start from the past and provide a definition—a sort of foundation, a cornerstone. And let's go back as far as 1987, when a United Nations document, the famous Brundtland Report, provided a very strong and positive definition of sustainable development.</p><p>It meant the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations. So, in some way, a double commitment: to protect the environment now, but also for the future.</p><p>Of course, at that time it was almost a radical idea, given the era of full industrial development and new energy sources. Now, however, we need to reclaim this noble and valuable idea. But do you think it is still relevant?</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Absolutely. If we are here discussing it, it is because we need to ensure that this idea, which unfortunately often remains just a definition, is actually put into practice. Nearly forty years have passed since that document and in the meantime the world has changed dramatically: the climate has become more unsustainable, resources scarcer, and inequalities more visible. We find ourselves facing the consequences of decisions made by others in the past, often without being able to participate in those decision-making processes.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>In this sense, you make us feel somewhat guilty.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Well, it is clear that the present generation feels the effects most. We bear a great deal of responsibility—the world seems to depend almost entirely on our generation. That, as I mentioned earlier, is a source of anxiety. And so, yes, we continue to believe in development that does not compromise the future, but we also question what the term “needs” means today, compared to when that report was written.</p><p>And above all: whose needs? We continue to see people living in excess, while others still struggle to access clean water, decent work, or clean air. I also wonder about what it means not to compromise the future, because in some respects that future has already been damaged—and it is precisely my generation paying the price.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>I understand that, in your generation. Of course, we come from a hundred years of economic and industrial growth, which created delicate balances in terms of the economy, employment, and energy sources, and it becomes complicated to shut everything down overnight, to suddenly bring the industrial process to a halt. There are many things that are hard to accept on a conceptual level.</p><p>For example, think of the current difficulties faced by electric transport, compared to vehicles with combustion engines: it is not easy to disrupt this way of life, this system, so we need to seek different solutions.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Well, clearly solutions exist. In fact, my impression is that the main problem is not the complexity of implementing these new technologies, which in a way break away from everything we have known until now, but rather a lack of will to do so. And perhaps, above all, a lack of trust in the new generations, who think differently, outside of the frameworks that have always been used.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>You are definitely right, because we need to change the frameworks, to change mindsets too, and this is central. But do you know what worries me most? That we keep talking about it.</p><p>We keep discussing, debating, we even argue politically about the possible solutions, but time is slipping away. The climate is changing, we are seeing environmental and territorial situations that are radically different from the past. So, the passage of time forces us to make decisions as quickly as possible.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Of course, we need to talk about these issues, but above all, as you said, we need to take action. First of all, we need to listen to each other across generations—not just me speaking to mine, and you to yours—but to find ways to connect and develop real solutions for both our generations. Above all, we must find ways to innovate, to regenerate, to involve communities, and especially to educate and train those who will be working tomorrow. So, I believe that now, more than ever, we must collaborate, in order to give real substance to a word that still remains too abstract in my view—sustainability.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Well, we have established a fairly concrete background from a technical perspective and in terms of the questions we need to ask of those who are already working to protect the environment and shape the future. In the next episode, we will be hearing from those who are making this journey, from decision-makers, and we will do so with experts, administrators, academics, institutional representatives. In some way, we will try to challenge those who make decisions for today and for the future.</p><p>So that sustainability is not just an abstract concept, as you said, but becomes instead a real challenge—because it concerns not only administrators, but all citizens, young and old, families. We are all waiting for answers that are truly decisive.</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>I am Stefania Proietti, President of the Regione Umbria. Umbria is Italy’s “green heart”, and for Umbria, sustainability is so much more than a word or a concept: in Umbria, sustainability means a way of life, a way of relating to the environment and to others. For Umbria, sustainability means fraternity, social justice, environmental justice.</p><p>For Umbria, sustainability means building the future by looking today at what tomorrow will bring, placing new generations at the centre of our daily and political action. For the Umbrian community, sustainability means starting from our identity—founded on hospitality, solidarity, peace, and the values of fraternity—to build a fairer society, ready to share, and committed to guaranteeing full dignity to those living today, while laying the foundations for a better life for those who come after us. Sustainability and Umbria are one and the same: sustainability in the green heart of Italy as a way of life, as a cultural style, as an identity that we want to share beyond our magnificent region. Umbria is sustainability, sustainability is Umbria.</p><p>FRANCESCO ASDRUBALI</p><p>I am Francesco Asdrubali, Pro-Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia and director of the Master’s in Urban Regeneration. Cities face one of the greatest challenges for sustainability: integrating socioeconomic aspects with environmental ones helps us understand just how much the way we manage and grow cities needs to change. And this change must happen now.</p><p>MAURA MARCHEGIANI</p><p>I am Maura Marchegiani, Rector's Delegate for Sustainability Policies at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. Our objective is to offer opportunities to understand, analyse and address the complex challenges of our time through an innovative educational approach that combines cutting-edge research on the various dimensions of sustainability and interdisciplinary teaching that integrates diverse and complementary perspectives, generating a constantly evolving learning environment through the cross-pollination of knowledge, disciplines, and expertise.</p><p>LORENZO LUCARELLI</p><p>I am Lorenzo Lucarelli, President of FELCOS Umbria, and I believe our region must increasingly engage in dialogue with the world to address, together with other countries, the challenges of sustainability through international cooperation, while working at the same time to localise the development goals of the 2030 Agenda with concrete policies and initiatives at the local level.</p><p>GIOVANNI ROCCATELLI</p><p>I am Giovanni Roccatelli, technical manager of the Umbrian Network for Sustainable Development project of the Regione Umbria. For me, the challenge is to define and implement regional policies focused on sustainable development and to support territories in building and practising sustainability.</p><p>SILVIO RANIERI</p><p>I am Silvio Ranieri, Secretary General of ANCI Umbria. Thanks to their proximity to citizens and to the region, municipalities play a crucial role in translating the regional strategy into concrete actions: it is at the local level that the future is built—a fairer, more resilient, and more sustainable future for our communities.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>What we have just heard are important perspectives, rich in vision and responsibility. But now the real challenge is to turn these visions into tangible change, and we need to consider how we can overcome the real obstacles—from bureaucracy to fragmentation—to make our cities, policies, and way of life truly sustainable.</p><p>Obviously, we do not have all the answers, but we want to ask the right questions.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>And we will ask these questions in the next episode to the President of the Regione Umbria, Stefania Proietti. With her we will discuss public policies and obstacles, opportunities, and the daily challenge of moving from words—which so many of us, including ourselves, have engaged in so far—to concrete action: the projects and commitments that administrators will need to undertake.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Because the future does not wait; it is built. And it begins now. Stay connected with us.</p>

<p><strong>Umbria Sostenibile – Episode 2: Interview with Stefania Proietti</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>There is a thread connecting all generations: the fear of not being heard. Parents think their children are too impatient; children think their parents are too slow.</p><p>And so time passes, while problems remain. But there is one issue that cannot be postponed: environmental sustainability. I am Italo Carmignani, journalist and podcast host, and today I am not alone: joining me is Sofia Abategiovanni, a student at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, who brings the perspective of those who not only imagine the future, but will actually experience it first-hand.</p><p>Together, we will meet the President of the Region of Umbria, Stefania Proietti, to understand how politics can address not only today’s needs but, above all, tomorrow’s questions. Because the truth is simple.</p><p>Young people are asking to be heard—and so is the planet. This time, we cannot pretend not to listen. President Proietti, there is widespread discussion about the ecological transition to be completed by 2030: what real changes do you hope to see in our region?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>The changes that Umbria will experience by 2030 will go hand in hand with our strategic policy lines set out for Umbria up to 2029. Each strategic line, including those in the economic and financial document we are currently approving in the legislative assembly, is informed by one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. This reflects what sustainability means to us, which is embedded in every mission—technically speaking—that the Region of Umbria must undertake. Regions are responsible for the territory, for urban planning, and for urban regeneration.</p><p>They are responsible for protected areas, including those protected at the European level: think of our natural parks, but also Natura 2000 areas. They are responsible for lakes, river basins, and the people. If I had to identify the first change we will see, it is that sustainability will enter into the document that will guide the health of the citizens of Umbria, adopting a One Health approach, whereby our health is inseparable from the health of the environment, the health of other creatures, in a concept of health where everything is interconnected.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Madam President, we young people are often accused of being an apathetic generation. In your view, what cause should we really take to the streets for today? In other words, in your opinion, what are the most urgent environmental and social challenges in Umbria, those truly worth mobilising for?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>Far from apathetic: young people are our energy, our real source of strength. The battle is the fight against climate change, because it is paradigmatic: climate change is caused by the wealthy, but it affects and kills the poor—whether countries, people, or innocent children. It is discussed less today because crises are accelerating, there are wars.</p><p>Yet, unfortunately, we see that many wars—a "piecemeal world war," as Pope Francis calls it—often occur where there are fossil fuel resources or where they pass through, right up to the recent events in the Middle East, where energy from fossil fuels does not play a minor role: unfortunately, it is a main actor in these crises that play out as wars. Why fight climate change?</p><p>Because energy independence through renewables means more peace and more democracy. This is a battle young people now feel deeply about: they have a green heart, which is somewhat the symbol of our Umbria, and young people of your generation, dear Sofia, share this. In my time, when I began my research journey precisely on sustainability and sustainable energy—I'm talking twenty-five years ago—climate denialism was strong.</p><p>Today, the effort is to avoid talking about climate change; yet the environmental question is often also at the root of far too many social tragedies and social injustice.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Umbria has always been described as the Green Heart of Italy, but how green is it really today? Could you give us some real figures regarding land consumption?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>The territory of Umbria is highly fragile, and this is closely linked to land consumption and, in recent years, to the lack of management of river networks—they are intimately connected. Land consumption triggers problems which, together with the intense rainfall events caused by climate change globally, can become dangerous even for people's lives. Far too often now, we witness rainstorms that lead to floods or overflowing rivers in our region.</p><p>So Umbria remains green in many respects: just consider our forest resources or the fact that our towns are truly scenic gems set within this beautiful landscape. But this fragility remains. How can we intervene? Through climate change adaptation measures, while always bearing in mind climate change mitigation: making Umbria a zero-carbon region, a region neutral in terms of its carbon footprint.</p><p>This is not an impossible dream, especially considering that so-called ecosystem services—our woodlands that grow and are maintained—can absorb CO2. We can aim for this dream: to become the first region to calculate its carbon footprint and neutralise it.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>In Umbria, unfortunately, many young people choose to leave because they see no future here. We would like to ask you what the Region is doing to create new job opportunities, particularly in the fields of sustainability and innovation, that are genuinely able to reverse this trend and encourage us to stay.</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>I would reply with one word: Umbria is building networks. Building networks among whom? Among manufacturing companies, which in our region are centres of excellence in various sectors, in fact: from fashion to precision mechanics, to aerospace—Umbria is highly advanced in these clusters and these methods of networking among companies—up to the food sector, which is increasingly seeking to create virtuous processes within its supply chain. So we are talking about production, circular economy, and zero-mile products, including food businesses.</p><p>All this needs you, it needs the kind of specialisation that I hope to foster in a truly interdisciplinary way, now made possible also by the digital revolution—something you cannot ignore: you cannot pretend that artificial intelligence or digitalisation do not exist. Let us take advantage of their positive aspects. Being multitasking, meaning having not just multidisciplinary but even "superdisciplinary" training, allows you to be ready for the kinds of responses companies are looking for today.</p><p>What are we doing for you? We are building this network: the university, not only that but also schools, starting in lower secondary school, which must open your eyes to a world of work that not only awaits you but is also full of success stories that began when our entrepreneurs were very young. So instilling hope and trust, with the tools we have: through European structural funds, we are not only financing job stabilisation—in this way combating precarious work—but we are also working to attract young talent</p><p>and give you the right to stay. We are also funding start-ups, because you can consider becoming entrepreneurs yourselves and creating jobs for others: I did it twenty-five years ago, driven precisely by these values, because I chose sustainability as my focus.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Renewable energy plants are strategic for clean energy production, but if not properly designed and sited, can have significant impacts on the landscape—a very important environmental resource for the Region of Umbria. So, what is the Region's current position on identifying suitable areas for the installation of renewable energy plants?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>We are among the most advanced regions, as we have already passed legislation on suitable areas, receiving recognition from the European Commission—the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission commended us when we shared our law: at the Commission, such areas are called "acceleration zones." The purpose of identifying suitable areas is precisely to speed up the production of renewable energy without impacting the environment or the landscape. Thus, the Region is responsible for identifying areas suitable for hosting renewable plants as opposed to those that are not. This is also a major function: administrative simplification.</p><p>For those wishing to install a renewable energy plant, or invest in one, knowing where it is possible and where it is not—through a map—is a mark of excellence.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Madam President, you are a true source of inspiration: you come from a scientific background and now lead the Region. In your opinion, what is needed to encourage more girls to choose STEM careers, including reaching leadership positions? Do you think there are still barriers related to gender stereotypes that disadvantage women?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>We need to share our experiences. Until I took up this mission and role in public service, I used to go into schools to share with students the value of being a researcher, a university professor, an engineer leading an engineering company that, from the early 2000s, saw sustainability not just as a research topic but also as an ethical response: thus, a job experienced as an ethical commitment to global environmental crises. By sharing this in schools, I would always have students telling me, "We would like to have a job like that too"—a job where your talent, even in scientific fields, becomes a way to fulfil your desire to do good, to make a difference for others. So, by telling our stories and sharing our enthusiasm, we can inspire and create dreams in our young people, both girls and boys. And as a mechanical and energy engineer, I can confirm that our talent and leadership are much needed in our sector.</p><p>In fact, as we always remember, President Draghi said in a very famous speech: our talent in this field is vital to the GDP of our country; we can really contribute a great deal. Sharing the life experience of being a researcher or a STEM professional with students can open the door to these ambitions, and for girls, it can help overcome prejudice.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>President, the final question. If you could choose just one radical and unpopular measure to protect the environment in Umbria, which would you implement immediately?</p><p>STEFANIA PROIETTI</p><p>I would cover all the rooftops of industrial areas with photovoltaic panels, creating a regional renewable energy community.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>That was the President of the Region of Umbria, Stefania Proietti. It remains for me to bid farewell to you and to Sofia.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Goodbye, everyone.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>See you in the next episode of the podcast dedicated to a sustainable Umbria, where we will have Professor Francesco Asdrubali, Pro-Rector of the University for Foreigners. So stay tuned for a new episode coming soon.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Because the future doesn't wait, it is built. And it starts now. Stay connected with us.</p>

<p>And how can it provide it? It can provide it through new technologies: for example, small modular reactors (SMRs), which are the latest generation reactors—very small and completely different in size from those at Chernobyl or Fukushima. They feature inherently safe systems, thanks to passive safety mechanisms, require low initial capital, are of small scale, and can therefore be widely deployed and implemented across a broad range of locations. There is considerable international interest in nuclear power: 24 countries worldwide are currently building nuclear power plants.</p><p>Some of these countries, such as Egypt, Turkey, and Bangladesh, have never had nuclear energy before; other African countries, like Rwanda and Nigeria, are now entering the field. Even within Europe, some countries, such as Belgium, are reappraising nuclear power. So, it is definitely a technology that can support us in the decarbonisation process. It should not, however, be the sole pathway for energy transition, but should be seen as one component within a multifaceted and complex energy mix, contributing to enhanced energy security for those who adopt it.</p><p>Research into nuclear fusion, which could provide humanity with virtually infinite and limitless energy, must, of course, continue—and work on this is also ongoing in Italy.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Professor, if in twenty years I am in my forties, what kind of city and what kind of world will I be living in? Above all, will it still be liveable, or should I already start looking for a home on Mars?</p><p>FRANCESCO ASDRUBALI</p><p>The hope is that in twenty years there will truly have been a reversal of course, and that the world will be well underway with a global-scale energy transition. Once again, there are both positive signs and challenges: on the one hand, Trump, who withdrew from the Paris Agreement; on the other, China, which—if not out of ideological support for the principles of sustainable development, then at least for economic convenience—is making a strong shift towards renewable energy sources.</p><p>Therefore, the hope is that in twenty years, you and all your peers will be able to live in a better world—a world, above all, free from the conflicts we witness today. Right now, COP30—the Conference of the Parties—is underway in the Amazon. I sincerely hope that in twenty years' time, the international agreements being negotiated these days, designed to update the commitments made by all countries in Paris a decade ago, will finally be on the path to full implementation.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Thank you to Professor Asdrubali. All that remains for me is to say goodbye—and I’d like to greet my colleague as well, Sofia.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Goodbye everyone.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>See you in the next episode, when we will welcome another professor from the University for Foreigners, Maura Marchegiani, with whom we will discuss international law topics. For a new episode of Sustainable Umbria.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Because the future is not something you wait for, it is something you build. And it starts now. Stay connected with us.</p>

<p>I would probably choose the ability to have an interconnected vision. This seems to me the most relevant aspect: knowing how to combine technical expertise with humanistic sensitivity, not viewing problems by sector but through their connections.</p><p>Sustainability requires minds capable of imagining scenarios, building interdisciplinary pathways, and translating values into concrete actions. So, vision—the capacity for vision—is certainly a key competency.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Listening to you is truly interesting, but unfortunately we need to wrap up, and I’d like to do so with a personal question. Are you optimistic about the future? And above all, can we as young people still afford to be optimistic?</p><p>MAURA MARCHEGIANI</p><p>I am definitely optimistic. However, we need a conscious optimism: not a naïve one, but an optimism grounded in responsibility and collaboration.</p><p>You young people are showing an incredible amount of creativity and courage. You are aware of the complexity of the challenges, but also aware of your own potential. And our role as academics is to provide you with solid knowledge and transversal skills to face the future—a future that is not something that simply happens to us, but something we build together, day by day, to turn our hopes into concrete projects through knowledge, cooperation, mutual trust, creativity, and ingenuity. And if we continue to believe that sustainability is a project of justice, well, then I’d say yes: we can and must allow ourselves to be optimistic.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Thank you, Professor Marchegiani, for sharing with us not only your expertise but also a clear vision. Sustainability is not just a slogan; it is a cultural project that involves education, institutions, and individuals.</p><p>Today we have realised once again that the future will not be built only by engineers and energy specialists, but also by new professionals able to interpret society, mediate conflicts, defend rights, and build cooperation.</p><p>In short, sustainability is not just about the environment and green energy: it is about responsibility, justice, and above all, knowledge. Now it is also time for a brief review.</p><p>Sofia, what are you taking away from this episode?</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Thank you, Italo. Honestly, the professor’s words have given me renewed hope, even if with a slightly bitter aftertaste—born from the awareness that we must all work together in concrete ways and truly take action. This is thanks, above all, to the education and learning made possible by these wonderful, indeed, extraordinary new courses.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>And thank you all for joining us again today. If you enjoyed this podcast, this episode, feel free to share it and send us your questions. We will continue this journey to discover an Umbria that wants to grow without leaving anyone behind.</p>

<p>Umbria is not made up of large cities, nor of metropolitan cities—as we know, and in some respects, we're fortunate for that—but rather of medium-sized cities: think of Perugia, Terni, Foligno; or it is sometimes composed of villages scattered across the region, of internal areas such as the Apennine range. Now, these internal areas, these villages, are experiencing a structural decline that goes well beyond the impact of the earthquake, where affected.</p><p>This decline has been present for some time and is known as the exodus of young people from these areas, population ageing, cessation of economic activities, closure of public and private services: schools, transport, healthcare, and so on. The challenge is evidently complex and multifaceted. However, I believe that the revival of the villages is essential for the overall sustainability of the region. There are examples—both in our country and more widely—that teach us that a village is not necessarily destined to disappear. There are small towns—let's look at a few models—that have been revitalised thanks to immigrants and the social capital they bring. We have villages that have re-discovered water as a resource and a tourism asset. Other villages, in Tuscany, have experienced a renaissance centred on the management of thermal parks.</p><p>I will not name any here. In these villages, there is a sizeable regional heritage—a portfolio of farmhouses and thousands of hectares of land—that could become a resource for new jobs and new homes for young people capable of imagining innovative agri-food production. Let me offer some seemingly simple examples: nearby Umbria, there are companies that are leaders in their sectors, companies that could help drive the birth of new enterprises led by young people developing innovative crops.</p><p>I will not name the companies, but perhaps our listeners can imagine them. If some enterprising young people wish to produce organic goat's milk and cheese, why not offer them a farmhouse, some farmland, or woodland—given that goats graze in the undergrowth—and thus allow them to live in these inland areas? Yet these enterprises cannot be left to themselves; perhaps they could benefit from mentoring, or support from a medium or large enterprise—maybe Umbrian—that specialises in dairy. And if other young people from Alta Valle del Tevere want to cultivate medicinal plants—a fundamental factor for another business located near Umbria—why not allocate them land and farmhouses in internal areas for the production of such plants, enabling the company to buy from them?</p><p>I could give ten more examples. We need to change Umbria by giving opportunities to young people—starting with the internal areas and the villages.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Professor, let’s talk about tourism—a sector in which Sviluppumbria has a key role. Tourism represents a major opportunity, but it can also become a risk if not managed responsibly: land consumption, pressure on villages, unsustainable models.</p><p>So, I would like to ask: how can real sustainable tourism be built in Umbria—a form of tourism that generates value without compromising the identity of the local communities? And above all, which strategies are you pursuing to internationalise the region and increase its visibility on global markets?</p><p>LUCA FERRUCCI</p><p>Tourism is vitally important for Umbria. I would outline three key concepts around which to shape policy: accessibility, hospitality, and attractiveness. These are the three pillars of tourism policy. The first: accessibility.</p><p>Tourists will come to Umbria if they can arrive quickly; we may welcome slow tourism, but in order to do so, one must first reach Umbria easily. At present, given the region’s infrastructural challenges, Umbria’s accessibility is a taboo subject, especially internationally, but also from other parts of Italy. It is clear that railway and road infrastructure often depend more on Rome than on Perugia, since funding is allocated at the national level. However, let’s not forget we have an airport, which falls under regional responsibility. I believe our airport is the only piece of infrastructure for Umbria’s accessibility—particularly from abroad—that is genuinely under the region’s control. ‘Control’ is, of course, a metaphor here.</p><p>It must therefore play an exceptional role. The airport now welcomes 600,000 passengers, which is an achievement. But the first question is: how many of these passengers come from key tourism markets, or from the export markets of our businesses? That is, if we know our tourists mainly come from Germany, France, the UK, and the United States, how many flights from our airport connect directly to German or French destinations? Fortunately, we have London—a significant achievement. But many flights serve other destinations, like Romania, Albania, and Malta, from which few tourists come.</p><p>If the airport is truly our gateway for international accessibility, and if it also serves our export-oriented businesses seeking connections to Germany, France, or the United States, then I believe it is time for a new phase for our airport. Then there is the question of hospitality: we have just closed a Call for Applications of around twenty million euros expressly aimed at upgrading accommodation facilities. In this area, we are well placed, with many accommodation providers, some of which now aim for—and achieve—high quality,</p><p>bringing significant transformation to our towns and villages, especially as highly qualified facilities attract high-spending visitors. And finally, the issue of attractiveness: we are not defined only by large festivals. We have religious tourism, as well as landscape and nature tourism, but we must also build attractiveness to strengthen this sector.</p><p>For example, walking trails—which have enjoyed some success, although there is much still to do. Or cycle tourism, which is expanding across Europe, and for which Umbria could naturally be a top destination. We often claim that we have a lot in terms of cycle tourism, but in reality, we are only at the beginning of this journey.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>I have a direct question for you now, as a young person searching for their place in the world: if I wanted to pursue a career in sustainable development, what is the one skill—just one—that I should start developing right now?</p><p>LUCA FERRUCCI</p><p>First of all, I sincerely hope that every young person in this region is able to create their own opportunity. And to build, to envision, and to imagine one’s own opportunity: opportunities are born at the intersection of two things—passion and skills. The best advice for a fulfilling career is to match your calling—your passion—with your competences. Sustainability is not limited to the strictly economic sphere—energy, renewables, or green plastics: in reality, it runs across all sectors. Just think of food packaging, set to change radically in the next five years, also in accordance with European directives.</p><p>Consider any object we handle today, many of which will be transformed. My advice, therefore, is not to focus on a single product but to focus on your passion and competences. If you discover that you are passionate about music and have skills in archaeology, you could even combine archaeology and music in something that is innovative and sustainable.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Professor Ferrucci, to close, a question we ask all our guests: are you optimistic about Umbria’s economic future? And above all, can young people afford to be?</p><p>LUCA FERRUCCI</p><p>Young people have a duty to have confidence in the future, because they will be the ones to build it. There is an entire generation that still seeks to dictate the terms of the future, but the hope is that the doors to opportunity will open for our young people and that they will become active participants—across both public and private sectors.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Thank you to Professor Ferrucci for joining us in this reflection on Umbria’s economic and sustainable future. Today we have understood that sustainability is not an obstacle to development, but its most powerful driving force: it drives innovation in businesses, brings value to the region, creates new opportunities, and above all, offers young people a tangible perspective. Sofia, what are your main takeaways from this episode?</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Thank you, Italo. As always, our conversation has left me with much to consider and one intriguing question: if the future is not only elsewhere, how can we help people understand that it is also built through the actions we take today—especially in politics and governance?</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>We will continue this journey to discover an Umbria determined to grow without leaving anyone behind.</p>

<p>I imagine an Umbria that leaves no one behind, an Umbria that is activated through all its institutions, associations, the third sector, and everyone who plays a social role in our communities, so that opportunities can be provided without ever losing our identity, while at the same time envisioning a high quality of life. And this must especially come through relationships, through services, through all those connections that have brought us together over the years and that must be further strengthened to ensure that Umbria can become, first and foremost, a model region in terms of relationships.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>Let’s go into a little more detail and give some examples. Regarding alternative energies, for instance, which are the most suitable for Umbria? With regard to water, what resources do we need to deploy to safeguard Umbria’s water sources?</p><p>And above all, what approach should the Region take to ensure that environmental sustainability leads to real results and does not remain just a policy statement?</p><p>FEDERICO GORI</p><p>This is a crucial topic, one which also involves municipalities, and we know that we must take action, as energy sources are finite and therefore we need to understand what impact alternative energies will have on our territories. At the same time, as I mentioned earlier, we must safeguard our identity, and this is precisely where connections, dialogue, and a comprehensive vision must guide us through situations that may be challenging. These include large installations, or specific plants, which could impact our environment but are nevertheless essential.</p><p>So we need to find the right balance, and we are working on this alongside the Region of Umbria and the relevant department, through meetings and above all by drafting regulations that offer protection to municipalities, while also encouraging us to take bold action, so that we can envision a future that is shaped by alternative energy as well.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>In a previous episode of Umbria Sostenibile, the President of the Region, Stefania Proietti, spoke mainly about solar energy, considering all the necessary precautions. Do you think this is a possible way forward?</p><p>FEDERICO GORI</p><p>As regards this issue, I would support a more forward-thinking approach. The fact is that Umbria is made up of municipalities that are often bound by restrictions. So, while it’s true that we should probably consider installing photovoltaic systems on warehouse roofs, factories, or in industrial areas, it’s equally true that in most cases, in historic centres or protected areas, we simply cannot do this, even if we wanted to; which is something I would not recommend in any case, because we have beautiful, extraordinary historic centres, and even with new technologies, such modifications would likely be rejected by the authorities responsible for heritage protection, for example.</p><p>Of course, aside from the proportion of land deemed suitable for alternative energy sources, we must consider how to modernise the existing structures, perhaps by incorporating photovoltaic solutions. And if the President of Umbria has stated her intention to invest in photovoltaics, I imagine that the region’s strategy or vision is much broader than that of each individual municipality. We are fully aware that we are part of this process: we want to contribute, and we certainly do not wish to hinder this transition. At the same time, we are custodians of the land, our towns and communities, and being guardians of community interests also means protecting those landscape, historical, and cultural aspects that define each place.</p><p>SOFIA ABATEGIOVANNI</p><p>Right, now one last question, President: in your opinion, what is the most courageous decision a local leader should make today to leave a positive legacy for tomorrow?</p><p>FEDERICO GORI</p><p>The most courageous decision for any administrator, to begin with, is simply to show up at the town hall each morning. That being said, we must recognise that our main challenge today is the constant lack of time. Time is no longer on our side; we lead hectic lives, always chasing after events, attending meetings, both online and in person. True courage lies in slowing down, engaging in dialogue, putting people back at the centre—regardless of whether they are city councillors we interact with daily. So, taking the time, and dedicating it to all those in our communities who want to be involved. Unfortunately, I see this happening less and less, precisely because of the increasing pace of life, a pace that seems to be quickening rather than slowing. Therefore, restoring value to time, in my view, is a truly courageous act.</p><p>ITALO CARMIGNANI</p><p>We would like to thank the President of ANCI Umbria, Federico Gori, for this interview, from which hopes, recommendations, and aspirations for sustainable development have emerged. We would also like to thank our listeners for joining us on this journey to better understand the path towards a more sustainable Umbria.</p>