LIFE Climate Action

LIFE Climate Action is a new sub-programme of the LIFE Programme for Environment and Climate Action for 2014-2020 with a budget of € 864 million (25% of the total LIFE Programme). LIFE Climate Action is the only EU programme dedicated to developing innovative responses to the challenges of climate change across the EU. It supports the implementation of the strategic priorities of EU climate policy within the Union and is therefore also an important element of the overall mainstreaming of climate action within the EU-budget.

The LIFE Multiannual Work Programme 2014-2017 sets out the priorities for the implementation in the first 4 years with a budget of €449 million.   € 190 million from LIFE budget could be spent on adaptation action across the EU territory for the period of 2014-2017.  LIFE Climate Action has four  main instruments relevant for adaptation in the next period:

• Action grants for projects in Member States for low carbon, climate resilient action with a demonstrative, best practice or innovative nature to support mainstreaming of climate objectives at local level and to support better governance and information on climate policies and action.
• A new pilot financial instrument to test and demonstrate innovative financing approaches for projects promoting the preservation of natural capital and adaptation to climate change, in particular by developing, testing and demonstrating ecosystem based approaches for climate change adaptation.
• Operational grants to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the field of environment and climate action and policy development at European level;
• Integrated projects implemented on a large territorial scale (regional, multi-regional, national or trans-national scale) environmental or climate plans or strategies required by specific Union environmental or climate legislation, developed pursuant to other Union acts or developed by Member States' authorities, primarily in the areas of nature, water, waste, air and climate change mitigation and adaptation, while ensuring involvement of stakeholders and promoting the coordination with and mobilisation of at least one other relevant Union, national or private funding source.

Check here for open calls and more information on the LIFE Programme in general.

The 2014 call for action grants under the climate change sub-programme is already open. The three priority areas addressed under the climate change sub-programme are mitigation, adaptation and governance and information. For the adaptation priority area, the areas of interest in which proposals are encouraged for the 2014 call are:

• cross-border management of floods, fostering collaborative agreements based on the EU Floods Directive
• trans-boundary coastal management, with emphasis on densely populated deltas and coastal cities
• mainstreaming adaptation into urban land use planning, building layouts and natural resources management
• mountain and island areas, with emphasis on sustainable and resilient agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors
• sustainable management of water; combating desertification and forest fires in drought-prone areas
• green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation
• innovative adaptation technologies
• vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies, including those with a cross-border nature

For the 2014 call, proposals focusing on urban adaptation are actively encouraged.

Adaptation-related projects can also be submitted under the governance and information priority area.  For the 2014 call, proposals focusing on the following are encouraged:

• Projects that develop best practices and raise awareness among Member States in the field of climate policy evaluation to support the development of cost-effective climate action, adaptation indicators, risk communication and management.
• Projects to test and implement tools for reporting, monitoring and evaluation of adaptation policies and measures across Europe
• Projects for targeted audience (e.g. citizens, SMEs) raising awareness on climate change vulnerabilities and climate change adaptation options, including information actions aiming to raise awareness and understanding of adaptation strategies and on how they are applied in the local and regional context.