The European Commission has granted over €358 million to 132 new projects across Europe under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action. The allocated amount represents more than half of the €536 million total investment needs for these projects, with the remaining amount provided by national and regional governments, public-private partnerships, businesses, and civil society organisations.

LIFE projects play a significant role in the EU's transition to a clean, circular and resilient economy, helping safeguard and restore the EU's biodiversity, supporting industrial competitiveness and contributing to the EU's long-term goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. The newly funded projects will have a lasting impact on Europe’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

The funding will support projects across all areas of the LIFE Programme:

• €225 million (including €147 million from the EU) for nature and biodiversity, with 34 projects aiming to restore natural habitats, coastal ecosystems, and freshwater systems, and to improve the conservation status of species. Notable examples include Heath LIFE in Sweden (€23.3 million), which will restore nearly 2,000 hectares of heathland and LIFE for RIVERS in Poland (€14.8 million) focusing on wetlands.
• €133 million (with €76 million from the EU) for circular economy and quality of life, covering 31 projects that promote clean and resource-efficient economies. Projects include LIFE RiverFlow in Latvia (€8.4 million), connecting 550 km of water bodies, and LIFE Woodmer in Sweden (€3.6 million), producing biopolymers from waste wood to reduce hazardous chemicals in packaging and textiles.
• €96 million (with €58 million from the EU) for climate resilience and mitigation, supporting 19 projects tackling the growing challenges of heatwaves, sustainable agriculture, and carbon capture. The French CROPS LIFE project (€4.3 million) will help rural communities adopt sustainable farming techniques to adapt to climate change, while Germany’s LIFE SUPER EU project (€10.9 million) will restore peatlands to capture carbon and support the EU’s climate and biodiversity goals.
• €82 million (with €77 million from the EU) for clean energy transition, spanning 48 projects that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Highlights include LIFE SUNACADEMY in France (€1.2 million), creating a renewable energy training academy, and NESOIplus (€1.8 million), bringing clean energy solutions to remote islands in the Azores, Canaries, and Martinique.

Over its 33 years of existence, the LIFE Programme has co-financed more than 6,500 projects across the EU and associated countries. The 132 new projects were selected from over 895 applications submitted under the 2024 call for proposals.

The current LIFE Programme (2021–2027) has a total budget of €5.43 billion and is managed by CINEA, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. These new investments reaffirm the EU’s commitment to sustainability, competitiveness, and the well-being of all Europeans.

At B2EU Consulting, we support clients in identifying and securing funding from EU programmes such as LIFE, Horizon Europe, and Innovation Fund. Follow our website and LinkedIn page for the latest news on funding opportunities.