With the 3rd Meeting on the Global Air Force Climate Change Collaboration, AM tells about its commitment to reducing the environmental impact.
On November 15 and 16, the 3rd Meeting of the Working Group “Infrastructure and Estate” was held at the Auditorium of the Aeronautical Palace in Rome, led by the representative of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Francesco Battistoni. Infrastructure Services del Logistics Command, from the Air Force within the framework of Global Air Force Climate Change Collaboration (GASCCC), launched in 2021 at the initiative of Royal Air Force.
It Working Group, Active since March 2022, the project aims to share projects, procedures, and analyses of lessons learned in the infrastructure sector, with the aim of contributing to the ambitious goal of eliminating the climate-altering emissions of the participating Air Forces (Net Zero Carbon).
Several diplomats representing the United Kingdom and Romania participated in the meeting, as well as many delegations from foreign air forces that adhered to the cooperation agreement. Among the latter, Qatar, United Kingdom, Singapore, United States e 31st Civil Engineering Squadron of base to Aviano. The representative offices of the following organizations also actively participated in the remote connection: Japan, Chile, Brazil e New Zealand.
It Brigadier General Stefano Cimichella, Head of the 1st Department of the Infrastructure Service, and Gr. Cpt. (Hon) Kevin Billings of the Royal Air Force, The coordinators of the working groups that make up the GASCCC opened the meeting by welcoming the participants, whose presence highlights the effort and commitment of their respective Air Forces in adopting strategies aimed at reducing the climate impact.
Following this, Brig. Gen. Cimichella summarized the energy efficiency initiatives undertaken by the Air Force, with particular emphasis on the project currently in its most advanced phase, the “Castro Pretorio Smart Military District”and to the projects of the “program”Blue Airports”aimed at improving the energy performance of the AM infrastructure park and increasing production from renewable sources renewable energy.
The introductory speech of the first day of the meeting was given by Brig. Gen. Luca Baione, Chief of the General Staff of the Military Air Force and Meteorology, and from Professor Paola Mercogliano, President of the Italian Association of Climatology, who presented a study related to risk assessment for airport infrastructure due to climate change, This phenomenon, which is manifested by increasingly frequent extreme events, is an indispensable tool for implementing mitigation strategies aimed at ensuring flight safety and the operational continuity of infrastructure.
Subsequently, the most relevant initiatives implemented to reduce their environmental footprint were presented by the participating Air Forces, both in person and remotely, including: Royal Air Force, The presentation of an update regarding the pilot project that the R.A.F. is implementing at the air base in Leeming, In the UK, a veritable “living laboratory” of infrastructure initiatives aimed at identifying best practices to be applied in the definition of their strategy aimed at achieving Net Zero of climate-altering emissions by 2040.
Of considerable interest was also the contribution provided by the academic world, including that of the University of Arkansas regarding energy certification systems and, in particular, the LEED Protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – the US system for classifying energy efficiency and the ecological footprint of buildings), taking as a case study the F-35 infrastructure compound in Amendola, certified with LEED Gold level; both from the industry, including that of the aerospace company Leonardo regarding the “smart” control and management systems for energy flows and the resulting implications in terms of cyber-security.
On the second day, the delegations were accompanied to the terminals of the Airport of the Eternal City and Vigna di Valle, where they were able to see some important recent infrastructure projects carried out by the company. 2nd Department of Intelligence of the AM., aimed at improving the energy performance of aeronautical installations, including the construction of a building for military personnel at the Airport of the City of Rome, with very high energy efficiency (Nearly Energy Zero Building), which now constitutes a standard for the housing infrastructure of the Armed Forces, and the recent works of functional and energy modernization, completed on the occasion of the Centenary of the A.M., of the Museum of Aeronautics of Vigna di Valle, which have allowed foreign guests to appreciate the values and traditions of the Blue Army through a historical journey narrated by the countless airplanes and valuable objects present in the exhibition hangars.
The meeting concluded at the Auditorium of Palazzo Aeronautica, in the presence of General Brig. Massimo Cicerone, Commander of COMSEV, with customary greetings and an exchange of gifts with the foreign delegations that expressed sincere appreciation for the hospitality received and for the absolute importance of the technical contributions provided, demonstrating the high value of the international cooperation agreement of the GASCCC in the common goal of reducing the environmental impact of its Air Forces.
