European Green Deal: What will the new H2020 call be like?

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to shape a new HORIZON 2020 call for proposals that will aim to strengthen research and innovation related to the European Green Deal. The consultation will be open until 3 June. The call for proposals, with a budget of 1 billion euros, is expected to be published in mid-September. The European Green Deal (#EUGreenDeal) will mobilise research and innovation to promote fair and sustainable social transition with the aim of “leaving no one behind”.

Priorities of the new call

Projects are expected to deliver tangible and visible results relatively quickly and show how research and innovation can provide concrete solutions to the main priorities of the European Green Deal.

The call will support:

• pilot applications, demonstration projects and innovative products
• innovation for better governance of the green and digital transition
• social and value chain innovation

In addition to technological development and demonstration, the call encourages experimentation and social innovation for new ways to engage civil society and empower citizens.

In relation to the current pandemic, the call will contribute to the green and digital recovery and to increasing societal resilience for example in agriculture, biodiversity acceleration of renewables, clean transport and modernisation towards a clean and circular industry.

11 thematic areas

The Green Deal call is composed of 11 areas:

• Call area 1: Increasing climate ambition: cross-sectoral challenges
• Call area 2: Clean, affordable and secure energy
• Call area 3: Industry for a clean and circular economy
• Call area 4: Energy and resource-efficient buildings
• Call area 5: Sustainable and smart mobility
• Call area 6: Farm to Fork
• Call area 7: Restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Call area 8: Zero-pollution, toxic-free environment
• Call area 9: Strengthening our knowledge in support of the European Green Deal
• Call area 10: Empowering citizens for transition towards a climate neutral, sustainable Europe
• Call area 11: Accelerating the clean energy transition and access in partnership with Africa

You can give your opinion in each of the areas and get more information on the EU Green Deal.

Background

Climate change and environmental pollution are an existential threat facing Europe and the rest of the world. To meet these challenges, Europe needs a new growth strategy to transform the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, where

• net emissions of greenhouse gases will have stopped by 2050
• economic growth is disassociated from the use of resources
• there are no people or places left behind.

The European Green Pact is our roadmap for giving the EU a sustainable economy. Achieving this goal will require us to transform climate and environmental challenges into opportunities in all policy areas and to achieve a successful and inclusive transition for all.