The European Commission has approved 171 new projects across Europe under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action, worth more than €396 million.
It will mobilise a total investment of more than €722 million through co-funding, which represents a 28.5% increase compared to last year.
Projects from almost all EU countries 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.
LIFE projects contribute to reaching the European Green Deal’s broad range of climate, energy and environmental goals, including the EU’s aim to become climate-neutral by 2050.
The European Commission said that they support biodiversity and nature restoration; improve the quality of life of Europeans by reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; increase circularity in the economy and climate resilience; and accelerate the transition to clean energy across Europe.
Biodiversity and climate projects Ireland
Examples of some of projects in Ireland include: ‘Enhancing energy audits schemes in energy intensive industries with practical approaches‘.
The consortium behind this project is advancing energy efficiency in the ceramic, food processing and pharmaceutical sector.
They plan on overseeing around 220 companies over the next five years. The project’s multi-actor local groups are promoting sustainable measures at EU level that will save approximately 303GWh/year of energy, equivalent to having 30.3 billion light bulbs switched on.
‘Transforming renovation in the southern seaboard region-Ireland (TRESS)’
Building renovations in Ireland suffer from systemic barriers to implementation. The team behind this project aims to set up facilitation services and trainings for financial providers and professional bodies in the building sector.
The two phases of the project predict the renovation of around 190 buildings that will produce emissions savings equivalent to roughly 2.7 million litres of petrol burnt.
Climate and biodiversity
29 nature and biodiversity projects, with a total budget close to €211 million (of which the EU will contribute around €140 million) will:
- Restore freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems, and habitats;
- Improve the conservation status of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals;
- Enhance governance;
- Support the implementation and compliance with relevant EU legislation such as the Birds and Habitats Directives and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
Circular economy and quality of life
LIFE projects will mobilise over €298 million, of which the EU will provide over €94 million to contribute to circular economy and improve the quality of life.
A total of 36 projects will focus on water use, electrical waste, chemicals, air and noise pollution to help improve the quality of life for EU citizens and developing technologies to support the Circular Economy Action Plan.
Five further projects will enhance environmental governance and information by empowering consumers to live toxic-free lives and making sustainable food choices.
The EU will contribute around €6 million for a total project budget of nearly €10 million.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
In total, 34 projects worth about €110 million (in which the EU will provides around EUR 65 million) will contribute to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and climate governance and information related to climate change impacts.
They will facilitate the shift towards a climate-neutral, sustainable and resilient European economy.
These projects address, among others: The reduction of GHG emissions; carbon removals in agricultural and forest lands; sustainable food systems; renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements; climate-friendly alternatives to fluorinated GHGs; climate adaptation in urban and rural areas; as well as greater preparedness for extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods.
Clean energy transition
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, 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 EU objectives.
LIFE programme
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.