Green Deal, the way to a climate-neutral Europe

Author: Rodrigo Sanz, Manager European Funds at Euro-Funding 

Climate change and environmental degradation are the existential threats facing Europe and the rest of the world today. To overcome these challenges, Europe needs a new growth strategy to transform the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. The European Union will therefore respond to these challenges through the Green Deal call, based on sustainable growth that aims to end net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 so that economic growth is decoupled from resource use.

The EU strategy is based on a transition towards fair and inclusive sustainability, putting people first and bringing citizens together in all their diversity. This is done through a model of cross-cutting measures that supports behavioural, social and cultural changes wherever they are most needed so that no one is left behind.

This call is also in charge of addressing the urgent challenge of contributing to Europe's recovery from the crisis generated by the Covid-19, by participating directly in the EU Plan Europe’s moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation, EC COM -2020-

In this context, the topics of the Green Deal work programme have recently been published, organised into 10 thematic areas, 8 reflecting the main lines of the European green pact and two focused on strengthening citizen knowledge.

Area 1: Increasing Climate Ambition: Cross sectoral challenges

• LC-GD-1-1-2020: Preventing and fighting extreme wildfires with the integration and demonstration of innovative means
• LC-GD-1-2-2020: Towards Climate-Neutral and Socially Innovative Cities
• LC-GD-1-3-2020: Climate-resilient Innovation Packages for EU regions

Area 2: Clean, affordable and secure energy

• LC-GD-2-1-2020: Innovative land-based and offshore renewable energy technologies and their integration into the energy system
• LC-GD-2-2-2020: Develop and demonstrate a 100 MW electrolyser upscaling the link between renewables and industrial applications
• LC-GD-2-3-2020: Accelerating the green transition and energy access partnership with Africa

Área 3: Industria para una economía limpia y circular

• LC-GD-3-1-2020: Cerrando el ciclo industrial del carbono para combatir el cambio climático – Viabilidad industrial de rutas catalíticas para alternativas sostenibles a los recursos fósiles.
• LC-GD-3-2-2020: Demostración de soluciones sistémicas para el despliegue territorial de la economía circular.

Area 4: Energy and resource efficient buildings

• LC-GD-4-1-2020: Building and renovating in an energy and resource efficient way

Area 5: Sustainable and smart mobility

• LC-GD-5-1-2020: Green airports and ports as hubs for sustainable and smart mobility

Area 6: Farm to Fork

• LC-GD-6-1-2020: Testing and demonstrating systemic innovations for sustainable food from farm to fork

Area 7: Ecosystems and Biodiversity

• LC-GD-7-1-2020: Restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services

Area 8: Zero-pollution, toxic free environment

• LC-GD-8-1-2020: Innovative, systemic zero-pollution solutions to protect health, environment and natural resources from persistent and mobile chemicals
• LC-GD-8-2-2020: Towards better regulation of chemical and pharmaceutical mixtures: from science to evidence-informed policies

Area 9: Strengthening our knowledge in support of the EGD

• LC-GD-9-1-2020: European Research Infrastructures capacities and services to address European Green Deal challenges

• LC-GD-9-2-2020: Developing end-user products and services for all stakeholders and citizens supporting climate adaptation and mitigation
• LC-GD-9-3-2020: A transparent & accessible ocean: Towards a Digital Twin of the Ocean

Area 10: Empowering citizens for the transition towards a climate neutral, sustainable Europe

• LC-GD-10-1-2020: Empowering citizens for the transition towards a climate neutral, sustainable Europe
• LC-GD-10-2-2020: Behavioural, social and cultural change for the Green Deal
• LC-GD-10-3-2020: Enabling citizens to act on climate change and environmental protection through education, citizen science, observation initiatives, and civic involvement

The deadline for submitting proposals to this call began on 22 September 2020 and will remain open until 26 January 2021.

Read more here.