On 3 March 2026, the public kick-off meeting of the ECOMAPS project – Environmental and climate change observation through the monitoring of air pollution in cities, co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme, took place at the Exhibition Spaces of Ca' Foscari University in Venice.
The event, which involved over 30 people from Italy and Slovenia, was the first public forum between project partners, institutions and stakeholders, providing an opportunity to present the objectives, activities and initial developments of a research project that takes an integrated approach to two closely related challenges: climate change and air pollution in urban areas.
The morning began with institutional greetings from Giulio Cozzi (Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council – ISP-CNR), representative of the project's lead partner, followed by a speech by Davide Zanchettin (Ca' Foscari University of Venice), who welcomed participants and partners to the Venetian university.
The opportunities offered by cross-border cooperation were then outlined by Sandy Petrossi, representative of the Managing Authority of the Interreg Italy-Slovenia Programme, who presented the programme's objectives and priorities for the period 2021–2027.
The project was then introduced by Elena Gregoris (ISP-CNR), coordinator of ECOMAPS, who illustrated the scientific approach underlying the research activities. The project studies the bidirectional relationship between climate and atmospheric pollution: while analysing how certain pollutants can influence the climate system, it also investigates how variations in climate parameters can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere and the processes of pollutant formation and degradation.
Elisa Scalabrin (ISP-CNR) then presented the lead partner's contribution and the monitoring activities planned as part of the project. Andrea Gambaro (Ca' Foscari University of Venice) explored the role of the Venetian university in experimental activities, with particular reference to studies on the degradation of atmospheric pollutants and the definition of new guidelines for the identification of emerging contaminants linked to climate change.
The second part of the morning was devoted to the presentation of the Slovenian partners in the project. Ana Kroflič (Kemijski inštitut) illustrated the institute's research activities and their contribution to the aging studies of atmospheric pollutants and chemical characterisation of atmospheric aerosols, while Asta Gregorič (AEROSOL razvoj in proizvodnja znanstvenih instrumentov d.o.o.) presented the monitoring technologies for carbonaceous aerosols used in the project, in particular the ethalometers used to measure black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant that contributes to atmospheric warming.
The event also featured presentations by the associated partners, who will closely follow the project activities and will be able to use the results to support environmental policies and strategies. These include ARPAV – Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto, Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje, Municipality of Venice, ANCI Veneto, ARPA FVG – Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Mestna občina Ljubljana and Municipality of Pordenone.
The presentations by Chiara Ugel (Municipality of Pordenone) and Giovanna Mazzi, who presented the joint contribution of ARPAV, the Municipality of Venice, ANCI Veneto and ARPA FVG, highlighted the role of local administrations and environmental agencies in promoting the scientific data produced by the project. Enrico Costa closed the session with a presentation of the activities of the ECHO – Science Communication Hub, which organised the event and supports the project's communication activities.
The project is currently in the initial implementation phase. Measurement points for monitoring black carbon in Venice and Ljubljana have been identified and the first measurements are already underway. To enable the instruments to operate outdoors, the project team is building special thermally insulated structures to house the measuring instruments. At the same time, experimental protocols are being defined for the study of the degradation of certain categories of pollutants linked to climate change.
The data collected will be made available to citizens and local administrations through a dedicated online platform, which will allow real-time monitoring of the concentrations of various atmospheric pollutants, including black carbon.
