• Posted 26-Oct-2021

European Green Deal call hits the ground running

On Wednesday 27 October, the European Commission organised a kick-off event to celebrate the projects selected for funding under the Horizon 2020 European Green Deal call. This €1 billion call, the last one under Horizon 2020, will fund projects that will contribute to the EU’s response to the climate crisis and help protect Europe’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity.

During the kick-off event on 27 October Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and her guests presented the political priorities of this call and explained how it will accelerate the achievement of the European Green Deal objectives. After this high-level political discussion, five selected projects in the areas of food in schools, energy, mobility and environment highlighted their objectives and expected outcomes, and explained how these will affect the everyday life of Europeans. The five projects cover areas such as wildfires, freshwater, green hydrogen, green airports and food for schools.

The European Green Deal is the European Commission's blueprint and roadmap to make Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050, with a sustainable economy that leaves no one behind.

To reach this 2050 goal, action will be required by all sectors of our economy, including:

• investing in environmentally-friendly technologies;
• supporting industry to innovate;
• rolling out cleaner, cheaper and healthier forms of private and public transport;
• decarbonising the energy sector;
• ensuring buildings are more energy efficient;
• working with international partners to improve global environmental standards.

Source: European Commission I Research and Innovation (https://bit.ly/3EgIijs)