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padova LIVING LAB
RESULTS
A Community-Driven Model for Sustainability
The Padova Living Lab serves as a dynamic platform for promoting sustainability and climate neutrality in Padova. Established as part of the European H2020 2ISECAP project, it integrates innovation and research in a partnership between public and private stakeholders. The lab emphasizes capacity building, knowledge exchange, and active collaboration to co-define measures within Padova’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) and Climate City Contract.
Padova’s horizontal governance system benefits significantly from local stakeholder contributions, a legacy rooted in the original Agenda 21 group, now reconfigured into the Living Lab. The lab follows an open and voluntary participation philosophy, encouraging diverse actors—public and private—to join in creating the city’s strategy for climate neutrality by 2030. While many stakeholders have already signed Climate Agreements, others will be invited to do so in the coming years.
A Collaborative Approach to Energy and Climate planning
To define its strategy for climate neutrality, Padova engaged stakeholders early on through a participatory pathway organized in spring 2023. Over 30 local stakeholders explored three strategic areas: building stock recovery and renewable energy systems (RES), sustainable mobility, and circular economy and waste management. This process comprised six meetings and culminated in a public event open to all citizens. During the meetings, stakeholders identified barriers and opportunities within these themes and proposed actionable commitments to reduce Padova’s carbon footprint by 2030. These contributions formed the basis for the “Climate Agreements,” outlining a shared roadmap through 2030, with biannual monitoring checkpoints.
Subsequent initiatives reinforced this foundation. Meetings with Neighborhood Councils in late 2023 engaged citizens in the Net Zero Cities Mission and encouraged their participation in Padova’s 2030 pathway. The councils proposed allocating portions of their annual participatory budgeting toward environmental projects supporting the mission. In February 2024, the City convened the Padova Council of Innovation to involve stakeholders specialized in digital innovation. This led to the signing of four new Climate Agreements, underscoring the lab’s commitment to integrating technology into its climate strategy.
Between 2023 and 2024, eight public meetings at major festivals like the National Energy and Sustainability Forum showcased the city’s mission and collective efforts. Bilateral technical and policy meetings further ensured actionable, localized goals in the Climate Agreements and City Contract.
Overcoming Challenges and Expanding Influence
Padova’s journey demonstrates how structured stakeholder engagement can overcome challenges such as initial hesitancy and resource constraints. The participatory pathway and follow-up meetings highlighted Padova’s ability to integrate diverse inputs into cohesive plans. The inclusion of Neighborhood Councils and the Council of Innovation illustrates a robust model for facilitating localized and sectoral contributions, expanding the lab’s influence and effectiveness.
Key Achievements and Lessons Learned
The lab’s participatory approach has yielded significant milestones, including 36 Climate Agreements and the submission of Padova’s Climate City Contract to the European Commission.
Lessons learned from the process include the importance of early engagement, transparent feedback, and leveraging local governance tools like Neighborhood Councils to bridge the gap between policy and citizen action.
Future Plans for PADOVA Living Lab
Looking ahead, Padova’s Living Lab will expand its scope with thematic working groups and further stakeholder integration.
Plans include leveraging digital innovation, scaling participatory budgeting for environmental projects, and engaging new stakeholders through targeted outreach.
The lab’s continuous evolution ensures it remains a model of sustainability and collaborative governance, inspiring other cities to follow its lead.
“To properly engage stakeholders,we held a lot of bilateral meetings with each of them, to discuss and explain how their own organisations could benefit from the Living Lab activities.”
Giulia Canilli, Comune di Padova
