Rome is a city filled with history. Its heritage buildings are treasures for art lovers and tourists alike — but less so for students. Many schools in Rome date to the 19^th century, and some of them are run down, badly insulated and poorly equipped to face a changing climate.

That is why Rome is now making its biggest investment in education renovation in decades, with the goal of making over 200 schools more energy efficient and sustainable.

“Complex upgrades are particularly difficult,” says Linda D’Amico, an architect in Rome’s Public Works and Infrastructure Office. Because antique buildings need to be protected and preserved, the rules for doing this work are stricter.

Rome has 1 144 nurseries, kindergartens, and primary and lower secondary schools. These schools account for as much as 95% of total municipal energy use, so a good energy efficiency programme will save money and cut emissions. “School buildings are voracious energy consumers,” says D’Amico. “Energy-saving measures can reduce pollution and have a major impact on the public budget, thanks to reduced costs for heating and lighting.”

The renovation was funded by grants from the Italian government, EU funds under an Italian national plan for cities called PON Metro, and a €150 million line of credit from the EIB in February 2023.

The city requested advisory support from the EIB to devise a plan and make the most of these resources. “Our comprehensive set of technical, financial and methodological advisory services will help the City of Rome implement and monitor this project in a timely manner,” says Alexander Linke, a senior EIB finance advisor who worked on the project.

That advisory support helped city officials overcome key challenges.

“The cooperation with EIB Advisory colleagues has helped the City of Rome face its challenges,” D’Amico says. “The technical assistance has been crucial in translating even smaller building upgrades into lasting improvements to energy consumption, to the environment, and to the welfare of children,” she adds. “It is a true win-win collaboration.”

Rome has worked with local districts to identify priority buildings for which energy audits and accessible technical information are already available. This way, the city can focus on buildings that can be quickly updated, with little disruption to school attendance.

Just as many young learners get new clothes to start the school year, some of Rome’s schools will be getting new, highly energy-efficient coats of thermal insulation. Schools will also be outfitted with new windows, doors and lighting, and updated heating systems. Newer buildings will even be equipped with solar panels and heat pumps.

“This is the biggest investment in educational builds in decades. Our partnership with the EU bank helps the City of Rome step up its climate action for the sake of a green transition that heralds fresh opportunities for cities,” says Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome.

With this project, Rome aims to slash costs and emissions on its way to becoming net-zero by 2030.

“We are proud to support the City of Rome in this energy transition project through financing and technical assistance,” says Andrea Durante, who worked on the credit line for the EIB. “The investment will have not just a strong environmental impact, but also a tangible social impact, improving schools from the suburbs to the heart of the city.”

Schools educate children, but they also create a community. This is especially true on the outskirts of Rome, where schools are convenient places for parents to meet and for children to attend extra-curricular activities and play.

Rome wants to encourage this sense of community by making schools more attractive and welcoming. “It is time to put children first,” says D’Amico, the city’s architect. “We want to send them a strong signal: They matter.”