Providing reliable data and information on the effects of vegetation on air quality and temperatures in the city. This is the aim of the European LIFE VEG-GAP project, coordinated by ENEA, which for the first time will make available to public administrations guidelines and information platforms, able to provide data on the efficiency of vegetation in mitigating atmospheric pollution together with temperature.

Participants in the project include the Municipality of Milan, the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the Municipality of Madrid. These are the pilot cities chosen for the first actions: carrying out surveys on the current state of green areas and air quality, with an integrated approach that will take into account transport, the formation of pollutants in the atmosphere and the presence of buildings.

In particular, the project aims to investigate whether urban greenery can pose health risks in certain weather conditions, as vegetation has the capacity to cool and filter the air, but also to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to the formation of certain pollutants, such as ozone (O3) and atmospheric particulate matter (PM10).