Energy and mobility

The whole world is now watching football. Everyone remembers how Russia defeated Saudi Arabia - 5: 0 at the World Cup 2018. But very few people know that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed ibn Salman Al Saud agreed on the creation of a long-term structure for cooperation in regulating oil markets.

However, the OPEC countries (Saudi Arabia leads there) and non-OPEC (Russia's leader) agreed several years ago on a joint reduction in oil production, after which prices were leveled up to the manufacturers' comfortable. But now we are talking not about individual steps, but about systematic regulation of the world oil market, and, accordingly, gas, as its price also mainly depends on the price of oil.

OPEC countries, photo WEB

The Italians did not participate in this holiday of football - for the first time in 60 years they did not make it to the final part of the tournament in Russia - therefore they talked about energy at home, and in both capitals - Rome and Milan, at the International Festival of Energy (Festival dell'Energia), which was conceived by Alessandro Beulcke and passed for the 11th time. 

On June 7, an opening was held in Rome, where two mayors of cities met for the first time: Roman Virginia Raggi (Movement of 5 Stars) and Beppe Sala (Democratic Party). This was the most surprising - for a long time they are mayors, but never met. They talked about each of their problems -  there are more of them in Rome (traffic, public transport, roads, waste) - and dispersed. More precisely, the participants of the Festival went to Milan.

11th International Energy Festival, photo © Evgeny Utkin

Leading Talks took place next day, where in addition to local politicians spoked the architect Mario Cucinella, a senior partner of Frost & Sullivan, well-known futurist Sarwant Singh and economist Giulio Sapelli. The latter almost became Prime Minister of Italy before Giuseppe Conti. They say that the League offered him as Premier, and even the 5-Star Movement was in agreement, but the professor wanted his (by the way, strong) minister of economy, and the "5 stars" retreated. So he was a possible Prime Minister for only about a day.

Sarwant Singh spoke about the development of transport, especially electric. He noted that in 2017, 1137 thousand electric cars were sold, 165 models of different manufacturers are already on sale in the market, and the electric vehicle fleet is now more than 3 million.

Sarwant Singh spoke about the development of transport, photo © Evgeny Utkin

"From now until 2030, we will move on to the three stages of future transport development: at the first stage we will see progressive improvements in the car, new business models, such as subscription services and mobility as a service, instead of owning car. In the next stage, from 2023 to 2027, we will witness the rapid growth of electric and autonomous vehicles" (from his slides it turned out that in 2025 there will be more than 19 million electric vehicles in the world).

Global survey of the electric vehicle market for 2017, photo © Evgeny Utkin

"Finally, after 2028, we will witness the further development of all mobility models in which today's futuristic perspectives, such as the proliferation of autonomous flying urban vehicles (drones and cars), will become a reality. It will be exciting time for the automotive industry. This is a trend when the car will become smarter than the driver. "

Global absorption of the car market by electric vehicles, photo © Evgeny Utkin

Architect Mario Cucinella talked about new ideas in construction. He is one of the most "green" architects in the world, he founded the non-profit organization Building Green Futures, a school for training specialists on sustainable development S.O.S. - School of Sustainability. And all of his latest architectural projects are environmentally friendly and practically do not consume external energy.

However, all new buildings in Europe by 2020 should be like Nearly Zero Energy Building. He told about his favorite kindergarten-school in the town of Guastalia, which he designed based on the "Pinocchio" (in Russia is known as the "Golden Key or the Adventures of Pinocchio" by Alexei Tolstoy).

Architect Mario Cucinella, photo © Evgeny Utkin

So, in the book, Pinocchio falls into the whale. And the architect designed the same rib structure. It turned out to be light and ecological, and cost like an ordinary school.

"Quality of design affects the quality of life, especially in children - that's why it is very important that they develop in beautiful schools - they learn better, remember more."

A unique school-school based on the "Pinocchio", photo WEB

However, the architect complained about the Italian bureaucracy: "In this school they could not understand where is the floor, and where are the walls, to understand whether they are suitable for Interstate Standard." Indeed, there the floor gently passes into the wall, and then to the ceiling, without corners.

Piero Manzoni, CEO of Neorurale S.p.A, described how he rebuilds the lands in Lombardy (a region in northern Italy with the capital Milan), giving them the look it was a hundred years ago. According to plans, records, rare photographs. He called his company the world's first company that "produces the environment."

Piero Manzoni, CEO of Neorurale S.p.A, photo © Evgeny Utkin

They restore the grounds and parks in their original form, and try to apply the closed cycle economy there - something that used to be called natural farms, but at a new level. That's how the story returns, albeit at a new stage. Produce products and energy directly where you live or in walking distance - it becomes a world new trend.

Evgeny Utkin, Milan, Italy

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