The launch of the LIFE Svolta Blu project in Dueville

On January 20, 2025, in the stunning setting of the Bacchiglione Springs in Dueville (Vicenza), LIFE Svolta Blu was officially launched.

This European project aims to transform the way businesses, local authorities, and citizens interact with water resources. The choice of location is not accidental: it is one of the most important areas for the recharge of the aquifers in the Vicenza plain, symbolising a new approach to water protection based on knowledge, collaboration, and innovation.

Promoted by Viacqua as the lead partner and funded by the European Union through the LIFE - Climate Governance and Information programme, the project involves a network of partners that brings together academia, irrigation consortia, public bodies, and certification organisations.

The goal is ambitious: to build a virtuous and shared water management system, based on concrete actions and the implementation of an innovative voluntary “blue credit” market. The heart of the project is the introduction of a blue credit system that will reward those who reduce water consumption or contribute to its regeneration – for example, through more efficient production processes or aquifer recharge interventions – while those with a high water footprint can purchase credits to offset their impact. The system, based on principles of fairness and transparency, will be tested for 40 months in the area between Vicenza and Padua, actively involving the local productive and institutional fabric.

The launch day saw the participation of numerous experts and institutional representatives. After the opening by Federico Ginato (Viacqua), Paolo Ronco (Viacqua) outlined the local challenges related to water management, while Andrea Baranes (Banca Etica) explored the connection between natural resources and sustainable finance at the European level. The central moment of the event was the presentation of the project, discussed in a roundtable moderated by Francesca Borga (EPC srl), which involved representatives from the scientific community and territorial governance, including Giulia Passadore (UNIPD - ICEA), Mara Thiene (UNIPD - TESAF), Paolo Gurisatti (IPA ALTO VICENTINO), Helga Fazion (APV), Filippo Moretto (ANBI VENETO), and Marco Omodei Salè (CSQA).

Following this, Silvia Garziera (Viacqua) explained the role of stakeholders and the concrete opportunities for businesses and administrations: agricultural, artisanal, and industrial companies will be assisted in the free calculation of their water footprint and in the planning of efficiency interventions, while local authorities will receive support to introduce regulatory tools and incentives for more sustainable behaviors. Free training programmes will also be available for all stakeholders.

The morning concluded with a technical intervention by Marco Omodei Salè (CSQA), who presented the certification system to ensure the credibility and replicability of the blue credits.

With the event in Dueville, LIFE Svolta Blu laid the foundations for concrete and structural change, based on public-private collaboration and the awareness that water is a common, precious, and fragile resource. A first step toward a future in which every drop of water is protected, regenerated, and returned to the territory.