European Commission launches call for local climate actions: Interreg projects welcome
The European Commission has launched the call "Communities for Climate". It aims to support local citizens’ actions to respond to climate change. Interreg project partners are encouraged to seize this opportunity for additional support.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a pressing reality. Floods, fires, droughts, and the loss of biodiversity are impacting people worldwide. In response to these climate, ecological and related socio-economic challenges, the European Commission has launched Communities for Climate (C4C), a call that aims at supporting local citizens’ actions to respond to climate change.
Objectives and details of the call
The Communities for Climate call for applications aims at selecting 50 local climate-related community projects to become beacons for others, by providing replicable examples and good practices locally to inspire broader change across Europe.
Selected projects will focus on local communities committed to climate actions in either regenerating biodiversity, water management, local circular economies or renewable energy in urban or rural settings.
Selected local communities will receive support from specialised experts, as well as opportunities for peer-learning, customised study visits, mentoring and coaching, and guidance on ways to make local community projects impactful and visible at European, national and local levels.
The place-based dimension is a key feature of the C4C initiative. The selected initiatives will be located in one of the eleven eligible EU countries: Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. Project ideas that foster a cross-border collaboration in tackling climate issues are encouraged.
Local actors already engaged in Interreg project partnerships can benefit from this additional support if they are selected. Selection criteria include novelty, that is, doing something new or additional to the project they are already implementing. Existing projects can be levelled up, by working with and engaging citizens and local communities in their Interreg project.
Applications are welcome until Friday, 21 April at 23h59 CEST. Those interested can attend the informational webinars to learn more about the initiative and the application process. All confirmed dates and registration links can be found in the C4C call page.
