Between 10 June and 10 September 2017, Expo 2017 is taking place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The international exposition, which falls between the two world expos of Milan (2015) and Dubai (2020), is dedicated to the theme of the energy of the future. It is an event to gather and showcase the most innovative technologies and policies in the fields of energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction.

"Green energy" at the heart of the future global economy

Expo Astana 2017 addresses ways to produce clean energy, tackling the question of energy availability, sustainability and the development trends for renewables expected over the coming decades. The theme chosen by Kazakhstan is probably the most pressing issue to be addressed and one on which governments around the world need to collaborate, in the wake of the Paris Agreement on climate and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

But the theme is central above all to the future — not only in terms of the environment and public health, but also in relation to the economic and social growth of communities living on our planet. It is for this reason that, in the organisers' intentions, it is essential to open a dialogue between the various governments that takes seriously the challenges faced by developing countries, including in terms of the effects of climate change on local economies.

The international exposition site and Kazakhstan's great sphere

The Astana international exposition aims to attract 5 million visitors from all over the world. The Expo 2017 site covers no fewer than 174 hectares — a space larger than the one Milan dedicated to the theme "Feeding the planet, energy for life" at Expo 2015, which had 110 hectares of exhibition space. The symbol of the exposition is the Kazakhstan pavilion: the largest spherical structure ever built in the world, measuring no fewer than 80 metres in diameter, entirely in steel and glass, and the physical and symbolic centre of the site.

Italy's participation in Expo 2017

More than one hundred countries, including Italy, have taken part in Expo 2017 in Astana. Italy is participating with a broad range of stakeholders, coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ice – Istituto nazionale per il commercio estero as the managing body.

Across the 895 square metres of the Italian pavilion, plus a further 700 square metres for commercial services, business meetings and a restaurant, spaces have also been set aside for the Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea Protection, Enea, many of Italy's regions and more than 20 large and medium-sized companies in the energy sector.

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