The very best LIFE projects from all over Europe were in the spotlight at the LIFE Awards 2026, held as part of European Green Week to celebrate excellence in nature and environmental protection, climate action and sustainability.
Nine finalists competed for the top prize in three categories: Nature Protection and Biodiversity; Circular Economy and Quality of Life; and Climate Action. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the LIFE Awards 2026 also honoured the winners of the Citizens’ Prize — awarded by public vote — and the Special Award which goes to a project demonstrating exceptional work investing in a nature-positive economy.
LIFE Award for Nature
The LIFE Award for Nature Protection and Biodiversity went to LIFE Danube floodplains, which has successfully restored and managed threatened and degraded Danube floodplain habitats. The runners-up in this category were Egyptian Vulture New LIFE and LIFE WOLFALPS EU.
LIFE Award for Circular Economy and Quality of Life
The LIFE Award for Circular Economy and Quality of Life went to LIFE Turn to e-circular, which built awareness of a circular economy for household electrical and electronic equipment in Slovenia. The runners-up in this category were LIFE Fitting and LIFE AIRFRESH.
The LIFE Award for Climate Action
The LIFE Award for Climate Action went to LIFE WetLands4CLIMATE, which successfully demonstrated that properly managing, restoring and conserving Mediterranean wetlands is an effective way to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity. Runners-up in this category were LIFE CLIMATE SMART CHEFS and LIFE Climate value chains.
Citizens’ Prize and Special Award
Egyptian Vulture New LIFE won the LIFE Citizens’ Prize, awarded to the LIFE project that receives the highest public vote in an online poll. The 5-year, €5.8 million project — one of the most ambitious vulture conservation initiatives ever undertaken — successfully halted the decline in the Balkan population of Egyptian Vultures and mounted an awareness raising campaign which reached an astonishing 25 million people in 14 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa.
The 2026 Special Award — for an outstanding LIFE project for exceptional work done in a specific field — was won by LIFE Olivares Vivos, which worked to protect and restore biodiversity in olive groves across southern Spain. The Special Award reflects the theme of European Green Week 2026, exploring the challenges linked to investing in a nature-positive economy.
The LIFE Awards 2026 were judged by a jury of three experts: EU Climate Pact Ambassador Alan Cappelli Goetz; Albina Yasinskaya, winner of the EU Organic Awards in the Best Organic Farmer category; and Polish MEP Elżbieta Łukacijewska, a member of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety. The jury commended the winners for the immediate and long-term environmental, economic and social improvements of their projects, as well as noting their innovation, ability to be transferred and scaled up, and their relevance to policy and cost-effectiveness.
Full list of LIFE Awards 2026 finalists
Nature Protection and Biodiversity: honouring projects that make an outstanding contribution to protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity across Europe.
- Egyptian Vulture New LIFE: urgent action to strengthen the Balkan population of the Egyptian vulture and secure its flyway.
- LIFE Danube floodplains: restoration and management of Danube floodplain habitats.
- LIFE WOLFALPS EU: coordinated actions to improve wolf-human coexistence across the Alps.
Circular Economy and Quality of Life: recognising projects that promote sustainable resource use, reduce pollution and improve citizens’ quality of life.
- LIFE AIRFRESH: removing air pollution through urban reforestation for better human well-being.
- LIFE Fitting: demonstrating an innovative PLAN-DO toolbox for safer, resource-efficient and fit-for-purpose wastewater treatment.
- LIFE Turn to e-circular: building awareness of a circular economy for household electrical and electronic equipment.
Climate Action: celebrating projects that contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- LIFE CLIMATE SMART CHEFS: empowering chefs to create a climate-smart, sustainable and healthy food system in the EU.
- LIFE WetLands4CLIMATE: Mediterranean wetlands management and restoration as carbon sinks.
- LIFE Climate value chains: establishing climate-friendly processing chains to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable construction in Europe.
About the LIFE Programme
The LIFE Programme is the EU's funding instrument for environment and climate action. With a budget of more than €5.4 billion spanning 2021-2027, the LIFE Programme has co-funded around 6 500 projects since its inception 34 years ago.
The work programme for the implementation of the LIFE Programme in 2025-2027 established an overall budget of €2.3 billion for projects tackling circular economy, zero pollution, nature and biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, and clean energy. The LIFE Programme is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
Details
- Publication date
- 3 June 2026
- Author
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
