Invernizzi AGRI Lab at COP16 with a project to restore biodiversity in collaboration with Generali

The initiative, developed for Generali Country Italia and Leone Alato, the Group’s agri-food and winemaking holding company, has been recognized as one of the best practices by the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits

A project for CO2 emissions offsetting and biodiversity restoration, designed with the support of SDA Bocconi’s Invernizzi AGRI Lab, received significant recognition at COP16, the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, recently concluded in Cali, Colombia. 

The International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB) selected the Generali Future Radici program, promoted by Generali Country Italia and Leone Alato, as one of the pilot projects supporting the Framework for high integrity biodiversity credit markets. 

The project involves planting one million trees across approximately 1,000 hectares of agricultural land owned by Leone Alato throughout Italy. These new forests aim to absorb CO2 and restore habitats for local species. “The Invernizzi AGRI Lab supported the project at every stage: from planning and design to assessing economic and financial sustainability, and conducting preliminary analyses on carbon credit generation,” explains Vitaliano Fiorillo, Director of the Lab. 

To achieve the dual goal of generating carbon credits and restoring biodiversity, the carbon credits produced by the project will be traded within Generali Country Italia to offset emissions that cannot otherwise be reduced. The biodiversity commitment remains entirely voluntary and will not generate any direct economic returns. 

The IAPB’s Framework for high-integrity biodiversity credit markets was created to guide the development of high-integrity biodiversity credit markets. This framework establishes principles and recommendations to ensure biodiversity credits are verified, fair, and well-governed. It includes guidelines for various market stakeholders, such as governments, financiers, and local communities, and promotes pilot projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of biodiversity credits. The objective is to encourage meaningful investments in nature conservation and restoration, ensuring benefits are equitably distributed and indigenous and local communities are involved at every stage of the process.

SDA Bocconi School of Management