Regional Plan of Interventions for Air Quality of Lombardy Region and Strategic Environmental Assessment
The Regional Plan of Air Quality Interventions of the Lombardy Region represents the planning and programming instrument for air quality management, with the objective of reducing atmospheric emissions and safeguarding the health of citizens and the environment. The Plan follows the Regional Plan of Air Quality Interventions approved in 2013 and subsequently updated in 2018. The Policy Guidance Document for the Plan was approved by the Regional Council with Resolution DCR No. 1131 of 11 November 2025.
With Resolution No. XII/5384 of 24/11/2025, the Lombardy Regional Executive launched the procedure for the new regional air quality planning process together with the related SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) procedures.
The Plan’s knowledge framework is structured into several thematic chapters.
A first section is dedicated to the regulatory framework, analysing the system of policies and regulations on air quality at different institutional levels—global, European, national, Po Valley basin, and regional. It also includes references to the infringement procedures initiated by the European Union following the exceedances of air quality limit values recorded within the Lombardy territory.
The Plan also describes the territorial context of Lombardy through an analysis of the main characteristics of the region and the factors influencing emissions. This section considers land use, demographic patterns, productive activities, the agricultural and livestock sector, the building stock, the transport and mobility system, and the regional energy dimension.
A specific chapter, prepared by ARPA Lombardia, addresses the knowledge framework on air quality and emissions, including the analysis of meteorological conditions and the status of air quality across the regional territory.
The Plan further explores the environmental context, considering the main components interacting with the atmospheric system, including water resources, biodiversity, landscape and cultural heritage, waste management, environmental noise, and risk factors. An additional section analyses the relationship between air pollution and health, focusing on the effects of the main pollutants on human health.
The document also examines the relationships between climate change and air quality, describing the Lombardy climate context through a historical analysis and an assessment of future scenarios based on IPCC scientific references.
Finally, the Plan defines reference emission scenarios for 2030 and 2040 and identifies the main intervention measures, also in coordination with other regional planning instruments. The measures are subject to a technical-economic feasibility and overall sustainability assessment, including cost–benefit analysis and the evaluation of possible intervention alternatives. The Plan also defines the governance model for the implementation of actions and the monitoring framework, through indicators and periodic reviews aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the adopted measures.
The Regional Plan of Air Quality Interventions is accompanied by the SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) procedure, aimed at integrating environmental considerations into the planning process and assessing the potential effects of the measures envisaged in the Plan.
The SEA introduces the methodological framework and the role of the Plan within the regional planning system, describing the objectives, strategic guidelines and measures of the Plan together with the main elements of the reference context.
The Environmental Report develops the evaluation of the Plan through the definition of the analytical methodology, the verification of external coherence with higher-level planning instruments and the verification of internal coherence between objectives and measures. The potential environmental effects of the planned actions are also analysed, together with the reference scenarios and possible intervention alternatives.
The assessment process also includes the Appropriate Assessment (AA) concerning the possible effects of the Plan on Natura 2000 sites. The document finally defines the monitoring system of the Plan, including indicators and procedures for verifying the effectiveness of the measures over time.
THE ROLE OF TERRARIA
TerrAria was entrusted with the technical assistance service for the update of the Regional Plan of Air Quality Interventions of the Lombardy Region and of the related SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment).
Working in close collaboration with the regional authorities, TerrAria was responsible for drafting the regulatory framework and the territorial reference context, analysing the main effects of air pollution on human health, and assessing the relationship between climate and air quality. In addition, the company was tasked with evaluating—under environmental, financial-economic and social perspectives—the measures proposed in the regional Plan in order to analyse their cost–benefit ratio, as well as defining the monitoring procedures and timelines of the Lombardy Region Plan and the indicators for assessing its effectiveness.
With regard to the SEA and the Appropriate Assessment (AA), TerrAria supported both the Competent Authority and the Proponent Authority throughout the development of the related and parallel procedural steps, up to the final approval phase of the Regional Plan of Air Quality Interventions. In particular, TerrAria contributed to defining the general objectives of the regional air quality Plan and the construction of the reference scenario, drafting the preliminary report (scoping), the Environmental Report with its non-technical summary, and the Appropriate Assessment procedure. The company also carried out the necessary environmental analyses and evaluations and supported the drafting of the Reasoned Opinion and the Statement of Summary.
Finally, TerrAria prepares the minutes and reports of the SEA conferences and public forums and develops informational materials on the measures of the Plan and their related effects, in order to foster public participation and the dissemination of information on air quality in Lombardy.
The TerrAria team is also supported by three professionals with extensive experience in specialised sectors, providing additional value in the assessment of impacts on economy, health and territory within the regional air quality planning process:
- Edoardo Croci, environmental economist
- Tommaso Filippini, environmental epidemiologist
- Alessandro Oliveri, spatial planner
