Description
Yesterday, 21 October, the Commission granted more than EUR 380 million to 133 new projects across Europe under the LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action. The amount allocated represents more than half of the total investment needs of €574 million for these projects - the rest comes from national, regional and local governments, public-private partnerships, businesses and civil society organisations.
LIFE projects contribute to the broad range of climate, energy and environmental objectives of the European Green Deal, including the EU's goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050 and halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, while ensuring Europe's long-term prosperity. These investments will have a lasting impact on the environment, the economy and the well-being of all Europeans. The projects will cover all areas of the LIFE programme, mobilising:
- EUR 143 million (of which EUR 74 million provided by the EU) to contribute to the circular economy and improve quality of life, with 26 projects aimed at reducing water use, industrial and household waste, air and noise pollution, and promoting reduction, reuse and recycling
- almost EUR 216 million (EUR 144.5 million EU contribution) for nature and biodiversity projects to restore freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems and habitats; improve the conservation status of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals
- around EUR 110 million (almost EUR 62 million EU contribution) for climate change resilience, climate change mitigation, governance and information;
- EUR 105 million (EUR 99 million EU contribution) for governance and market solutions to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Examples of projects supporting sustainability, innovation and quality of life
Among the 26 projects selected to promote a more circular economy and quality of life, the EUR 7.5m LIFE GRAPhiREC project aims to recycle graphite from waste batteries in Italy. It is expected to generate EUR 23.4 million in revenues and save EUR 25 million in production costs.
The Spanish LIFE POLITEX project will invest €5m in reducing the environmental footprint of the fashion industry by converting textile waste into new textiles.
The EUR 9.8 million DESALIFE project in the Canary Islands aims to support water resilience by producing fresh water from the Atlantic Ocean. Offshore wave buoys deployed off the Canary Islands will pump 1.7 billion litres of desalinated fresh water to shore.
25 projects will support nature and biodiversity in a wide range of areas. Two projects, LIFE4AquaticWarbler and LIFE AWOM, involve Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, as well as Ukraine and Senegal, with a combined budget of almost EUR 24 million to save the rare water viper bird, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
Another example is Biodiverse City LIFE, a EUR 3.6 million project in Budapest to promote the 'peaceful coexistence of nature and urban lifestyle'.
IMAGE LIFE and LIFE VINOSHIELD are part of the 23 climate change resilience and mitigation projects announced today. With a combined budget of EUR 6.8 million, the ongoing projects in Spain, France and Italy will help world-famous vineyards and the production of famous cheeses - such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Camembert de Normandie and Roquefort - to become more resilient to the impact of extreme weather events. The projects illustrate answers on how the entire European agricultural industry can best adapt to climate change and water scarcity. Equally important is the ongoing EUR 6.9 million LIFE BLUE 420 kV GIS project in Belgium, led by Siemens to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electrical switches.
To ensure a transition to clean energy, as part of the 59 new projects announced, LIFE DiVirtue, a three-year, EUR 1.25 million digital training programme, will strengthen capacities for a more efficient and innovative building and construction sector. The project specifically uses virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to help students and construction professionals realise zero-emission buildings and renovations in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia and Romania.
Finally, with almost EUR 10 million, the ENERCOM FACILITY project will provide direct grants to 140 emerging energy communities across Europe to stimulate investment in sustainable energy. It will further support energy communities in developing their business models through training courses and capacity building materials, paving the way for replicable business models with long-term sustainability.
Source: European Commission
Image owner: European Commission