Italian Consul in Detroit, Paola Allegra Baistrocchi, gives a talk during LoveITDetroit on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Detroit.
Italian Consul in Detroit, Paola Allegra Baistrocchi, gives a talk during LoveITDetroit on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Detroit.
DETROIT, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After the success of the 2022 edition, the Italian Consulate in Detroit has relaunched its presence at the ‘Detroit Month of Design’ through the ‘LoveItDetroit’ project, with an installation dedicated to sustainability, open to the public until Sept. 30, at 1001 Woodward Avenue.
In particular, the installation aims to underline how Italian companies have taken the path of sustainability, integrating this approach with the essence of Made in Italy. On the occasion of the opening day of the Detroit Auto Show 2023, the exhibition hosted a panel of experts and stakeholders from the sector on Wednesday, to discuss the links between the US motoring capital and Italy, in particular Turin, and the energy transition in the automotive sector.
The ties between Detroit and Italy date back to 1899, the year of the first Auto Show, the same year in which Italy sent its first consul to this city, recalled the Italian ambassador to the USA, Mariangela Zappia. “We are currently the only European country that has a consulate in Detroit and this says a lot about the relations between Detroit and Italy and, of course, between Detroit and Turin, the automotive capital of Italy,” Zappia said. “Italy is at the forefront of innovation in the automotive sector,” remarked the ambassador, recalling the “Italian champions” present at the 2023 Auto Show, in particular in the electric cars sector. “Tonight we celebrate sustainable mobility, after having celebrated the Space sector and Italian fashion.”
“We wanted to use sustainability as an underlying theme, because it crosses various sectors,” said the Italian consul in Detroit, Allegra Baistrocchi, promoter of ‘LoveItDetroit’. “Italy is at the forefront of the fight against climate change and is fighting for this internationally, so why not use design as a vehicle for this issue?,” added the consul. Kerry Duggan, sustainability expert and CEO of SustainabiliD, an organization she founded in 2017, after having held various consultancy roles in the Obama-Biden Administration, also spoke about the links between Detroit and Italy. “Clearly we both have in common that we create things. And not only do we produce things, we are innovative, we design, we are both known for design. Detroit is a UNESCO city of design. And obviously I don’t need to say anything about Italy and the its design heritage,” Duggan said, after moderating the expert panel.
Among the speakers of the evening, also Marco Bruzzano, senior vice president of regulatory affairs of DTE, the Detroit energy company. “Companies like DTE are focused on reaching net zero emissions as quickly as possible. We just announced that we will retire all of our coal plants by 2032. And we are on track to reduce our emissions by 85% by 2032. The innovation ecosystem that we have in Detroit, with the automotive companies, the utilities, the investments that are being made from all over the world make this an incredible moment,” Bruzzano said, underlining that “in this moment, when the transition will impact so many people, from businesses to residents, it’s so important to listen to all stakeholders, reach out and understand everyone’s concerns, make sure no one is left behind as we navigate this transition.”
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