RTD (Research & Innovation) projects

A large number of Research & Innovation (RTD) programmes under FP7 (2007-13) and Horizon 2020 (2014-20) have supported projects relating to biodiversity, climate change and energy. Calls under the first phase of the new Horizon Europe (2021-27) are ongoing, and have been listed in the HE Work programme for 2021-22.

FP7 (2007-2013) programmes that covered biodiversity, climate change and energy:
Specific Programme "Cooperation": Environment (including Climate Change) (FP7-Environment; funding € 1.9 billion) aimed at improving the sustainable management of environmental resources by advancing knowledge on interactions between the climate, biosphere, ecosystems and human activities via multidisciplinary research. Among the areas addressed were biodiversity conservation and sustainable management, environmental pressures, marine environment management, earth and ocean observation and monitoring, and nature restoration.
Specific Programme "Cooperation": Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology (FP7-KBBE; total funding € 1.9 billion) aimed at advancing knowledge in the sustainable management, production and use of biological resources (microbial, plant and animal) towards safer, healthier, eco-efficient and competitive products and services for agriculture, fisheries, feed, food, health, forest-based and related industries. New renewable energy sources were covered under the concept of a European knowledge-based bio-economy. It included research activities on sustainable non-food products and processes to develop improved crops and forest resources, feedstocks, and biomass technologies for energy and environment.

Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) programmes that covered biodiversity, climate change and energy:
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (H2020-EU.3.5; funding € 3.1 billion) aimed to achieve a resource- and water-efficient and climate change-resilient economy and society, protect and sustainably manage natural resources and ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable supply and use of raw materials. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity, climate change and energy are Fighting and adapting to climate change (H2020-EU.3.5.1); Protecting the environment, sustainably managing natural resources, water, biodiversity and ecosystems (H2020-EU.3.5.2) which included the AMBER project (EU co-funding € 6.0 million) on adaptive river-barrier management in the context of hydropower; Ensuring the sustainable supply of non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials (H2020-EU.3.5.3), which included the Photorama project (EU co-funding € 8.4 million) ; Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation (H2020-EU.3.5.4), which included the CABRISS project (EU co-funding € 7.8 million); and Developing comprehensive and sustained global environmental observation and information systems (H2020-EU.3.5.5). The Photorama project (2021-24) will build an automated pilot facility to disassemble PV panels, recover most of their mass, and process those materials to maximum purity. It builds on expertise generated in the earlier CABRISS project (2015-18) pioneering a circular economy based on recycled, reused and recovered indium, silicon and silver for PV and other applications.
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Secure, clean and efficient energy (H2020-EU.3.3; funding € 6 billion) aimed to make the transition to a reliable, affordable, publicly accepted, sustainable and competitive energy system, aiming at reducing fossil fuel dependency in the face of increasingly scarce resources, increasing energy needs and climate change. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity, climate change and energy are  Reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint by smart and sustainable use (H2020-EU.3.3.1); Low-cost, low-carbon energy supply (H2020-EU.3.3.2), which included the FIThydro project (EU co-funding € 5.9 million) on fish-friendly hydropower technologies; Alternative fuels and mobile energy sources (H2020-EU.3.3.3); New knowledge and technologies (H2020-EU.3.3.5); and Market uptake of energy innovation (H2020-EU.3.3.7).
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy (H2020-EU.3.2; funding € 3.9 billion) aimed to secure sufficient supplies of safe, healthy and high quality bio-based products, by developing productive, sustainable and resource-efficient primary production systems, fostering related ecosystem services and the recovery of biological diversity, alongside competitive and low-carbon supply, processing and marketing chains. Among its actions most relevant for biodiversity, climate change and energy are Sustainable agriculture and forestry (H2020-EU.3.2.1), Sustainable and competitive bio-based industries and supporting the development of a European bioeconomy (H2020-EU.3.2.4) and Cross-cutting marine and maritime research (H2020-EU.3.2.5).
Pillar III (SOCIETAL CHALLENGES): Smart, Green And Integrated Transport (H2020-EU.3.4; funding € 6.3 billion) included projects aimed at minimising transport systems' impact on climate and environment by improving quality and efficiency in the use of natural resources and fuel, and reducing GHG emissions.

Pillar I (EXCELLENT SCIENCE): European Research Council (ERC) (H2020-EU.1.1; total funding € 13.1 billion) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-EU.1.3; total funding € 6.2 billion) also include several topics relevant to biodiversity, climate change and energy. The ERC-funded projects include the project package Frontier research for the Green Deal: Driving forward Europe’s climate ambitions through innovation and transformation and several others that cover biodiversity and renewable energy.

Horizon Europe (2021-2027) ongoing calls/programmes covering biodiversity, climate change and energy:
Horizon Europe's Pillar II on Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness covers biodiversity, climate change and energy as major topics under Cluster 5 and Cluster 6.
The HE Work programme (2021-22) for Cluster 5 on "Climate, Energy and Mobility" includes several destinations relevant for "climate change, biodiversity and energy." Particularly relevant are calls under destination 1 "Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality" (total indicative budget € 274 million), which cover climate change adaptation and climate services, and better understanding of climate-ecosystem interactions among its main objectives. Calls under destinations 2 to 6 focus on developing technologies for batteries, renewable energy and carbon capture towards increased efficiency and sustainability of energy, resource use and climate solutions.
The HE Work programme (2021-22) for Cluster 6 on "Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment" includes several destinations covering topics relevant to "biodiversity, climate change and energy." Particularly relevant are calls under destination 1 "Biodiversity and ecosystem services" (total indicative budget €375 million), destination 3 "Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors" (total indicative budget € 267 million) and destination 5 "Land, ocean and water for climate action" (total indicative budget € 193 million).

Pillar I (Excellent Science) also continues under HE, with indicative budgets over 2021-22 of € 830 million for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and € 470 million for Research Infrastructures. Both cover many topics relevant to biodiversity, climate change and energy.

Pillar 3 (Innovative Europe) includes the European Innovation Council (EIC) with a total indicative budget over 2021-22 of € 4347 million for its Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator actions, as well as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The EIC supports SMEs and research teams developing breakthrough innovations with a focus on contributing to objectives of the European Green Deal and the Recovery Plan for Europe. Its programme EIC Accelerator Challenge – Green Deal innovations for the Economic Recovery supports projects with sustainability goals, including increasing the EU’s climate mitigation and/or adaptation ambition; supplying clean, affordable and secure energy; and preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity. The EIT supported the ReProSolar project (EU co-funding € 4.8 million) on efficient recycling of end-of-life solar PV modules.

CINEA projects

The European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) runs many programmes that fund projects relevant for the topic "biodiversity, climate change and energy." These include programmes for environment and climate action such as the LIFE programme, and others in the energy, transport and maritime sectors.

The LIFE programme
In 2021 the Commission approved an investment package of more than €290 million for 132 new projects under the LIFE programme (2021-2027) for environment and climate action. This EU funding will mobilise a total investment of €562 million. The programme aims to help Europe become a climate-neutral continent by 2050, put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, and contribute to the EU green recovery post-Covid-19. It consists of four sub-programmes, all relevant for the topic "biodiversity, climate change and energy": Nature and Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Clean Energy Transition, and Circular Economy and Quality of Life. Earlier LIFE programmes also covered many projects relevant to this topic, which can be searched in the LIFE public database. For instance the project (2019-25) Life Connects (EU co-funding € 5.6 million) aims at improving the conservation status of target species and ecological status of target rivers. Actions include removing hydropower plants and dams, and creating fauna migration passages to enable hydropower production, fish migration and riverbed restoration. Another project (2013-16), FRELP, aimed at developing innovative technologies for 100% recycling of end-of-life PV panels. It focused on developing treatments that enable the recovery of valuable raw materials from PV waste, including glass, aluminium, silicon metal, copper and silver. Some of these (e.g. silicon metal, antimony, chromium and fluorspar) are considered Critical Raw Materials for the European economy, of high economic importance with high risk of supply.

Maritime sector programmes
These are funded via the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and projects are listed in the maritime datahub.