- Four areas of the programme
- Nature and biodiversity
- Circular economy
- Climate change
- Clean energy
- Over 6,700 projects funded
The LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action, one of the European Union’s most significant programmes in the fields of the environment and the circular economy, is set to award over 390 million euros to a total of 135 projects across various European countries.
This amount covers more than half of the total investment requirements, which amount to 579 million euros. The remainder of the funding will be provided by national, regional and local governments, public-private partnerships, and the companies and organisations involved in the projects.
According to information published by the European Commission, projects under the LIFE programme play a key role in the transition to a clean, circular and resilient economy, and help to improve preparedness and resilience to extreme weather events and to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Four areas of the programme
The projects will cover all areas of the LIFE Programme, with funding of:
- Over 223 million euros (of which the EU will contribute over 151 million euros) for 29 nature and biodiversity projects aimed at restoring and protecting natural habitats and conserving the species living within them.
- Nearly €163 million (of which the EU will contribute around €91 million) for 36 projects contributing to a clean, circular, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy, whilst improving quality of life.
- Over 102 million euros (of which the EU will provide over 61 million euros) for 26 projects aimed at strengthening resilience to climate change through adaptation and mitigation.
- Over 91 million euros (of which the EU will contribute nearly 87 million euros) for 44 projects aimed at accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Nature and biodiversity
In the nature and biodiversity category, 29 projects from 16 Member States have been selected. These include the LIFE COCON project, with a budget of 9.2 million euros, to restore coastal sand dunes in Belgium, and the Ducks Diving LIFE project in Bulgaria, with a budget of 12.6 million euros, to conserve globally threatened diving ducks along the Black Sea–Mediterranean migration route.
Circular economy
As regards the circular economy, 36 projects from 13 Member States have been selected, including the LIFE RESHAPE-D project, with a budget of 25.8 million euros, which will reduce the risk of flooding in the Belgian Dender Valley by restoring natural water management processes.
In the Netherlands, the LIFE Waterhub project, with a budget of 11.1 million euros, will demonstrate an innovative and flexible wastewater treatment system. With a budget of 2 million euros, the LIFE MUMS project aims to reduce women’s exposure to endocrine disruptors.
Climate change
Among the 26 projects on climate change resilience and mitigation, the €10 million CARENA LIFE project in Germany stands out; it will promote nature-based carbon removal techniques.
In Ireland, the LIFE FLOW project, with a budget of 4.4 million euros, will integrate nature-based solutions to protect against heavy rainfall and storms. With a budget of 5.9 million euros, the LIFE POSTFIRE project will support the Mediterranean region in post-forest-fire restoration.
In Austria, the FGasFree LIFE project, with a budget of €1.9 million, will develop refrigerated transport without fluorinated gases, whilst in Finland, the LIFE CCC BUILD project, with a budget of €3.4 million, will convert forestry and agricultural waste into carbon-storing building materials.
Clean energy
44 new multi-country projects have been selected for funding to support the transition to clean energy. These projects cover both the EU and LIFE partner countries. For example, the LIFE EUCF City Facility 3.0, with a budget of 15.8 million euros, will cover all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine, providing financial and technical assistance to local authorities to invest in sustainable energy.
Over 6,700 projects funded
For more than thirty-four years, the LIFE Programme has co-funded over 6,700 environmental and climate action projects across the European Union and in partner countries. The 135 projects announced today were selected from a record number of 1,095 applications submitted under the 2025 LIFE calls for proposals, ranging from less than 650,000 euros to more than 15 million euros. Compared with last year, the funding allocated by the LIFE Programme has increased by 9 per cent.
The current LIFE Programme began in 2021 and will run until 2027, with a budget of €5,430 million. Grants funded under the LIFE Programme are managed by CINEA, the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and the Environment.