EU approves climate project funding

The European Commission has earmarked a further €280mn ($330mn) of the EU budget to fund climate-related projects under its "Life" programme for the environment and climate action.

A total of 120 projects, selected from 1,250 applications, will ultimately receive €590mn in investments, €280mn of which will come from the EU. This is up by 37pc on the year, the commission said.

The investment is designed to contribute to the achievement of the commission's "green deal" presented late last year, which puts forward a more ambitious climate policy for the bloc, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

From the overall budget, 16 climate mitigation projects have been allocated €86mn, with €32mn of this to come from the EU.

Among these is a Belgian project developing fuel from solid waste to reduce steel sector emissions, as well as two Italian projects, one designed to save energy and reduce CO2 emissions through the rapid drying of ceramics, and the other to use a waste heat recovery system to save 15pc of CO2 emissions in glass production.

The steel sector accounted for around 6pc of verified emissions under the EU emissions trading system last year, while ceramics and glass production made up roughly 1pc each.

An Italian demonstration project is expected to save 5,750 t/yr of CO2 by recovering waste heat from industry for re-use in district heating.

A budget of €208mn, including €76mn from the EU, has been allocated to 47 environment and resource efficiency projects. This includes a German project producing electricity from industrial waste heat.

The remaining projects are centred around nature and biodiversity, environmental and climate governance and information, and climate change adaptation.

"If replicated across the EU at speed and scale, ["Life" projects] can help the EU achieve its ambitious EU green deal goals", commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius said.

A group of non-governmental organisations called earlier this year for the European Council, European Parliament and commission to work together to ensure sufficient funding is in place to meet the EU's emissions reduction objectives.

A report published by energy think-tank Agora Energiewende this week said that the commission's lack of discussion of climate-neutral technology for heavy industry is jeopardising the bloc's efforts to achieve climate targets.

By Victoria Hatherick