LIFE driving a just and inclusive clean energy transition

What connects socio-economic development, social justice, education, better health, job opportunities and decarbonised energy systems? Clean energy, and access to renewable sources. Today, 675 million people still live in the dark. A reliance on heavily polluting fossil fuels and lack of access to clean energy are keeping many communities in perpetual poverty, and poor health, as well as harming our environment.  

In Europe, the LIFE Clean Energy Transition (LIFE CET) subprogramme puts clean energy first. With a budget of nearly EUR 1 billion through 2021-2027, it funds around 70 projects a year. These look at five intervention areas: building national, regional and local policy frameworks; accelerating the rollout of technology, digitalisation, new services and business models; attracting private finance; supporting the development of local and regional investment projects; and involving and empowering citizens.  

Project participants are from all parts of society including non-governmental organisations, energy communities, public authorities, energy agencies, small to medium enterprises, industry, and the finance sector. LIFE LOOP and LIFE OwnYourSECAP are two examples involving local communities, and local and regional public authorities.  

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete (Greece), Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia, communities are set to generate their own solar power. LIFE LOOP fast-tracks community energy projects, helping local authorities and regions drive and achieve their sustainable energy plans and strategies. From building capacity and feasibility to collaboration across government and local citizens, and funding, LIFE LOOP will simplify the process for new local solar farms. Social justice and equality run deep throughout each project; people of all genders and abilities are empowered to participate on equal terms, in new and existing energy initiatives.  

The project runs from 2022 until 2025 with a budget of EUR 1.7 million, of which the EU contributes EUR 1.6 million. 

Implementing a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) for each municipality is key to climate and energy policy. Over the last 15 years, EU municipalities have been developing local energy and climate plans. However, they often are not fully engaged in the development process, and therefore do not feel like ‘owners’ of the SECAPs they are then required to carry out. This means that many SECAPs are often “sitting on the shelf”, even though they are crucial to achieving local policy objectives, stakeholder, and citizen engagement, building capacity, and implementing carbon reduction measures. LIFE OwnYourSECAP aims to change this via energy management systems, innovative engagement approaches, and training those responsible for action plans. The project will involve, train, and assist more than 110 municipalities and 1500 public officers in 11 counties, including Latvia, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. The project runs from 2022 until 2025 with a budget of EUR 1.8 million, of which the EU contributes EUR 1.7 million. 

Potential applicants should keep an eye on the Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal, as all LIFE 2024 Calls for Proposals, including CET opportunities, are anticipated to be unveiled on April 18, 2024. Explore additional insights in the Clean Energy and the LIFE newsletter, accessible through this link.  

More information: 

LIFE CET supports the delivery of EU policies focusing on sustainable energy, particularly the European Green Deal, the Energy Union, and the EU’s 2050 long-term decarbonisation strategy.  

 (*) - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.