010. Four Motors for Europe - Four Motors for Mercosur: progress on the Clean Tech Initiative

As part of the ongoing cooperation between the two Four Motors groups, the European partners joined their Mercosur counterparts in Cordoba (Argentina) to discuss the Clean Tech Initiative. 

The Rhône-Alpes presidency of the Four Motors for Europe had the honour of organising an institutional, economic and technical mission to Cordoba (Argentina) aimed at strengthening ties between the two groups. During the meeting, expert roundtables were held to discuss energy recovery from waste and the production of energy from biomass. The daily discussions revolved around five themes identified within the general Clean Tech framework approved by the eight regions:

- Education and awareness-raising in the area of waste treatment

- Coordination, guidelines and territorial ecology

- Development of waste recycling

- Development and adaptation of biomass thermal treatment technologies

- Anaerobic digestion process and production of energy from biogas

On Wednesday 29 February, a seminar was held between the political representatives from the delegations for the Four Motors for Europe and the Four Motors for Mercosur. During the meeting, the elected representatives from both sides of the Atlantic were able to present and discuss the regions' environmental policies and their potential for clean technology, with a view to defining the main focus areas for future work under the programme.

The eight regions (Baden-Württemberg, Catalonia, Lombardy, Rhône-Alpes, Paraná, Alto Paraná, Rivera and Cordoba) are convinced of the importance of promoting sustainable development. To achieve this end, it is vital that the regions play an active part in rolling out new, environmentally-friendly energy models. They must also draw inspiration from each other's best practices so that together they can move forward and attain the common objectives set out in the Clean Tech initiative.

Catalogue Mercosur Mission.pdf