New LIFE projects funded
The European Commission has approved 171 new projects across Europe under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action on 14th November.Thanks to the program's co-funding requirements, the program will mobilise a total investment of more than €722 million that will benefit from EU support under the following sub-programmes: nature and biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation and clean energy transition.
One of the biggest nature and biodiversity projects involves 13 EU Member States and other European countries tackling fishing bycatch in the North Atlantic, Baltic and Mediterranean waters. The project aims to minimise - and where possible eliminate - bycatch in the regions involved in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
For Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate Action, “Climate and nature are closely linked. Our soils, oceans and forests are the biggest carbon sinks we have, and healthy nature can keep us cool on a warming planet. With the weather extremes our world is experiencing, more projects on climate adaptation and mitigation are paramount . When I see what LIFE projects have already achieved in the EU and participating countries and the impact they will have in the future, I am optimistic that we have the tools to bring real change on the ground.”
For Nature and biodiversity will be 29 projects, with a total budget close to €211 million, of which the EU will contribute around €140 million.
This will restore freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems, and habitats, improve the conservation status of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals and enhance governance. In addition support the implementation and compliance with relevant EU legislation such as the Birds and Habitats Directives and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Doing so, they will equally contribute to the EU's implementation of the Kunming Global Biodiversity Agreement in Montreal.
Concerning Circular economy and quality of life, LIFE projects will mobilise over €298 million, of which the EU will provide over €94 million.
A total of 36 projects will focus on water use, electrical waste, chemicals, air and noise pollution to help improving the quality of life for EU, while 5 projects will enhance environmental governance and information. The EU will contribute around €6 million for a total project budget of nearly €10 million.
There will be 34 projects worth around 110 million euro that will contribute to Climate change mitigation and adaptation, and governance and information related to climate change impacts. These projects cover important topics, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, carbon removals in agricultural and forest lands, sustainable food systems, renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements and many others.
For Clean energy transition will be 67 projects with a total budget of more than €102 million, of which the EU provides around €97 million, will improve market and regulatory conditions in the EU for the clean energy transition, notably promoting and rolling out energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy solutions. These projects support the implementation of the energy efficiency and renewable energy policies set out in the REPowerEU plan and the Fit for 55 package, as well as the overarching Energy Union objectives.
*Over its 31 years of existence, the LIFE Programme has co-financed more than 6 000 environmental and climate action projects across the EU and associated countries. The 171 projects announced today were selected from more than 751 applications, submitted under the LIFE 2022 call for proposals, published in May 2022.
The European Commission has increased funding for the LIFE Programme by almost 60% for the 2021 - 2027 period, bringing it to €5.43 billion. The grants financed under the LIFE Programme are managed by CINEA - European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.
Here the Project summaries