Climate Action LIFE - European Commission

EnvironmentEnvironment& ClimateAction

LIFEPROJECTS 2014

Climate Action

LIFE Climate Action

EUROPEAN COMMISSION ENVIRONMENT DIRECTORATE-GENERAL

LIFE (“The Financial Instrument for the Environment and Climate Action”) is a programme launched by the Euro-pean Commission and coordinated by the Environmen t and Climate Action Directorates-General . The Commission has delegated the implementation of many components of the LIFE programme to the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).

The contents of the publication “Climate Action - LIFE Projects 2014” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the institutions of the European Union.

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2015

ISBN 978-92-79-47125-4ISSN 2443-6402doi:10.2779/90427

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Introduction to LIFE Climate Action projetcs 2014

LIFE Climate Action in 2014

The Commission received 189 submissions to its first call for proposals for Climate Action projects, in 2014. Of these, 26 projects were selected for funding. These projects will be led by universities, research institutes, public authorities and private enterprises.

There were 84 proposals for LIFE Climate Change Mitigation (CCM) projects. These focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors. The Com-mission awarded 15 action grants to beneficiaries in nine Member States - a total investment of €35.8 mil-lion, of which the EU will provide some €18.4 million.

A total of 72 project proposals were submitted for LIFE Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) co-funding. The Commission selected 10 projects designed to increase resilience to climate change for action grants. Led by beneficiaries in five Member States, this represents a total investment of €36.6 million, of which the EU will provide some €17.5 million.

Of the 33 proposals for LIFE Climate Governance and Information (GIC), a category for information, aware-ness and dissemination projects, one was selected for funding. It will establish a pan-European network around the concept of the carbon footprint of organi-sations. The project represents a total investment of €1.5 million, of which the EU will provide some €0.9 million.

Background

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementa-tion, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing pro-jects with European added value.

The budget for the LIFE Programme for 2014–2020 is set at €3.4 billion in current prices, administered through the Environment and Climate Action sub-pro-grammes.

The Climate Action sub-programme will provide €864 million in co-financing for climate projects between 2014 and 2020. Its main objectives are to:

• Contribute to the shift towards a low-carbon and cli-mate-resilient economy;

• Improve the development, implementation and en-forcement of EU climate change policy and legislation;

• Support better environmental and climate change governance at all levels; and

• Support the implementation of the 7th Environment Action Programme

LIFE Climate Action 2014: Commission funds 26 new projects in 11 countries with €36.75 million

The European Commission has approved funding for 26 new Climate Action projects under the LIFE programme, the European Union’s fund for the environment and climate action. The action grants have been awarded to beneficiaries in 11 Member States and cover actions in the fields of climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and climate governance and information, the three priority areas of the LIFE sub-programme for Climate Action. The projects are led by ‘beneficiaries’, or project promoters, based in Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. In total, they represent an investment of some €73.9 million, of which the EU will provide €36.75 million.

More information on each LIFE Climate Action project is available at:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm

Contact details for the relevant national authorities can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/nationalcontact/life_clima.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/national-contact/index.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/national-contact/index.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/nationalcontact/life_clima.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/contact/nationalcontact/life_clima.htm

Index of Climate Action projects 2014

BELGIUM LIFE14 CCM/BE/000921 LIFE DRB

Demonstration of the Double Regenerative Burner technology to reduce GHG emissions from Steelmaking industry plant

LIFE14 CCM/BE/001187 LIFE-Dairyclim

Feeding strategies to decrease methane emissions and carbon footprint of dairy cows in Belgium, Luxembourg and Denmark

CYPRUS LIFE14 CCM/CY/000990 LIFE+ ORGANIKO

Revamping organic farming and its products in the context of climate change mitiga-tion strategies

FINLAND LIFE14 CCM/FI/000254 OPAL-Life

Optimising Agricultural Land Use to Mitigate Climate Change

FRANCE LIFE14 GIC/FR/000475 LIFE Clim’Foot

Climate Governance: Implementing public policies to calculate and reduce organisa-tions’ carbon footprint

LIFE14 CCM/FR/000954 LIFE Conipher

CONcrete Insulation PHotovoltaic Envelope for deep Renovation

LIFE14 CCM/FR/001125 LIFE BEEF CARBON

Demonstration actions to mitigate the carbon footprint of beef production in France, Ireland, Italy and Spain

GREECE LIFE14 CCA/GR/000389 LIFE AgroClimaWater

Promoting water efficiency and supporting the shift towards a climate resilient agricul-ture in Mediterranean countries

LIFE14 CCM/GR/000635 LIFE CLIMATREE

A novel approach for accounting & monitoring carbon sequestration of tree crops and their potential as carbon sink areas

LIFE14 CCA/GR/000928 LIFE ADAPT2CLIMA

Adaptation to Climate change Impacts on the Mediterranean islands’ Agriculture

ITALY LIFE14 CCA/IT/000316 Life SEC Adapt

Upgrading Sustainable Energy Communities in Mayors Adapt initiative by planning Climate Change Adaptation strategies

LIFE14 CCA/IT/000650 LIFE DERRIS

DERRIS - DisastEr Risk Reduction InSurance

LIFE14 CCA/IT/000663 LIFE IRIS

Improve Resilience of Industry Sector

LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 LIFE FoResMit

Recovery of degraded coniferous Forests for environmental sustainability Restoration and climate change Mitigation

LIFE14 CCA/IT/000939 LIFE HEROTILE

High Energy savings in building cooling by ROof TILEs shape optimisation toward a bet-ter above sheathing ventilation

LIFE14 CCA/IT/001280 LIFE PRIMES

Preventing flooding RIsks by Making resilient communitiES

LATVIA LIFE14 CCM/LV/001103 LIFE REstore

Sustainable and responsible management and re-use of degraded peatlands in Latvia

POLAND LIFE14 CCA/PL/000101 LIFERADOMKLIMA-PL

Adaptation to climate change through sustainable management of water of the urban area of Radom City

SPAIN LIFE14 CCM/ES/000311 LIFE_FERTILIFE

Agricultural carbonic fertilisation with ceramic industry GHG emissions

LIFE14 CCM/ES/000404 LIFE BATTLE-CO2

Biomass incorporation in AsphalT manufacturing Towards Less Emissions of CO2

LIFE14 CCA/ES/000612 LIFE ADAPTAMED

Protection of key ecosystem services by adaptive management of Climate Change endangered Mediterranean socioecosystems

LIFE14 CCM/ES/000865 LIFE METHAmorphosis

Waste streams treatment for obtaining safe reclaimed water and biomethane for transport sector to mitigate GHG emissions

LIFE14 CCM/ES/000957 LIFE Blue Natura

Andalusian blue carbon for climate change mitigation: quantification and valorisation mechanisms

LIFE14 CCM/ES/001209 LIFE DEMOWAVE

Demonstration of the efficiency & environmental impact of wave energy converters (WEC) in high-energy coasts

SWEDEN LIFE14 CCM/SE/000221 EffiSludge for LIFE

An innovative concept to improve resource and energy efficiency in treatment of Pulp and Paper industry effluents

THE NETHER-LANDS

LIFE14 CCA/NL/000302 LIFE URBAN-ADAPT

Demonstrating urban climate adaptation and resilience in inner city Rotterdam

Project background

The iron and steel industry is responsible for 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions from industry in Europe, making it the most-polluting industrial sector in terms of CO2 emissions. A significant volume of the CO2 emis-sions from integrated steel plants is related to natural gas consumption, of which about 45% comes from the use of natural gas to reheat furnaces. Reducing this consumption is essential to reduce the sector’s overall carbon footprint.

During thermo-reduction, which takes place during the transformation of iron oxides into cast iron, blast fur-naces emit high volumes of a low calorific gas (named Blast Furnace Gas, BFG), containing a high proportion of carbon monoxide. The low calorific value of this gas drastically limits its use in any industrial application. In particular, when used in the steel industry’s standard re-cuperative burners, BFG must be mixed with a rich gas for process/metallurgical reasons: the very high flame temperatures required in the reheating furnaces cannot be reached using BFG alone. A typical composition of mixed gas used in a reheating furnace for steel slabs is 10% BFG with 90% natural gas.

Project objectives

The LIFE DRB project will demonstrate, at the ArcelorMit-tal site in Ghent, Belgium, in a first industrial-scale ap-plication, the efficiency of an innovative patented burner technology: the Double Regenerative Burner (DRB). This technology allows the pre-heating of BFG and air in an innovative combustion process within the burner, using an innovative fume-exhaust system installed inside the burner itself. This technology should allow a very high temperature of 1 000 degrees Celsius to be reached for both BFG and combustion air for pre-heating. At this temperature, BFG can be used in the furnace-reheating process without the addition of any rich gas such as natural gas.

The project will design and implement a pair of the inno-vative 7MW Double Regenerative Burners at the reheat-ing furnace for steel slabs at the ArcelorMittal integrated steel-making site.

Expected resultsIt is expected that use of DRB technology will result in:• A 9% reduction in natural gas consumption in steel-

making plant rolling mills;

• A 90% reduction of the use of natural gas in the re-heating furnace;

• Abatement of nitrogen oxide emissions below 150 mg/Nmc = 150 mg/Nm3 in DRB exhaust fumes;

• A reduction in the related CO2 emissions from rolling mill sites; and

• A 90% increase in the quantity of BFG used to power reheating furnaces for steel slabs.

Once demonstrated, the DRB technology could be repli-cable in all integrated steel plants that have blast fur-naces and reheating furnaces for steel slabs. Applied at European scale, this technique could result in yearly re-ductions of 30 461 661 gigajoules (GJ), corresponding to 1 716 164 tonnes of emitted carbon dioxide.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryCockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie

Postal addressAvenue Greiner, 1B - 4100 SeraingBELGIUMPhone +32 43302209Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personMelissa FORTUNATO

Duration of project:31 months (01/09/2015 – 31/03/2018)

Total budget in euro:3,224,352.00

EU contribution in euro:702,223.00

Demonstration of the Double

Regenerative Burner technology

to reduce GHG emissions from

Steelmaking industry plant

L I F E 1 4 C C M / B E / 0 0 0 9 2 1 L I F E D R B

Project background

According to a 2006 survey by the FAO (Food and Agri-cultural Organization of the United Nations), agriculture accounts for about 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Methane produced by dairy cows represents 76% of total methane emissions. On the other hand, the complicated digestive system of ruminants allows them to convert even poor-quality forage into milk and meat. For that reason, cattle are important sources of protein and fat, especially in countries with a high proportion of grasslands. In addition, grasslands can be a substantial carbon sink.

Preserving these areas is thus crucial to lowering carbon emissions. Encouraging grazing can help preserve these grasslands, and the amount of methane emitted can be mitigated by improving farm management, feeding strategies and by genetic selection.

Project objectives

The main LIFE-Dairyclim project objectives are to:• Contribute to the mitigation of climate impacts and to

decrease GHG emissions in dairy farming, by optimis-ing feeding strategies both in winter (barn feeding) and in summer (grazing and supplementary feeding). This will be reached by first evaluating different di-ets using variable amounts of forages distributed as silage or as grazed grass, and commercial feeds of diverse compositions in the experimental farm. The best ones will be promoted in pilot farms in the three countries involved in the project: Luxembourg, Den-mark, and Belgium. Furthermore, new techniques al-lowing precision grazing will be tried out in order to make the best use of the grass. Attention will be paid to finding the best compromise regarding resilience and sustainability. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) of the milk production will also be carried out;

• Contribute to the conservation of grasslands by high-lighting the importance of grasslands for dairy farm-ing as a potential carbon sink. It also aims to increase grazing practice, which has an additional impact in terms of reduced energy consumption. Moreover, monitoring the loss of grasslands and the proportion of grazing dairy cattle will allow for estimates of their impact on emissions related to land use and land use change in the three participating countries; and

• Produce guidelines to ensure the dissemination and the transferability of the results of the project. This objective will be reached by publishing a hand-

book including recommendations on agricultural good practice. A website will also be set up.

Expected results• The provision of precise data on possible actions to re-

duce GHG emissions and carbon footprint per kg of milk per cow and per hectare at farm scale, while optimised feeding practices for dairy cattle will decrease methane emissions in the three involved countries by 10%;

• Open days organised at the pilot farms will help to demonstrate the benefits of optimised feeding strate-gies to the other farmers, facilitating the transfer of the results and strengthening the after-LIFE phase of the project. The transferability of the strategies to oth-er European regions will also have been ensured by the industrial feed industry partner, who is active and has partnerships in numerous European countries; and

• Improved grazing management allowing for bet-ter use of grass in the daily diet and a reduction of methane emissions and CO2 fluxes by about 10% compared to baseline.

The overall activities related to the project will also con-tribute to raising awareness of the impacts of grass-lands loss and the loss of grazing on carbon footprints.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryUniversité de Liège

Postal addressPlace du Vingt Août, 7 B – 4000 LiègeBELGIUMPhone +32 43662373Fax +32 43664733Email [email protected]

Name of contact personIsabelle DUFRASNE

Duration of project:48 months (01/10/2015 - 30/09/2019)



Feeding strategies to decrease

methane emissions and carbon

footprint of dairy cows in Belgium,

Luxembourg and Denmark

L I F E 1 4 C C M / B E / 0 0 1 1 8 7 L I F E - D a i r y c l i m

Project background

Cyprus has adopted EU climate change policy. However, more information regarding different agricultural sys-tems is needed in order to assess their impacts on cli-mate change; in particular, comparative data on organic versus conventional farming, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, efficient use of materials, and regarding children’s health.

Project objectives

The ORGANIKO project’s main objectives are to: • Develop a strategic national plan for mitigating climate

change in agriculture through the advancement of or-ganic farming and its products in the Cypriot economy;

• Demonstrate the quality performance for a series of climate mitigation indicators, including indicators of agronomic and environmental quality for both organ-ic farming and conventional agricultural systems;

• Offer periodic monitoring towards the timely delivery and impact of the demonstrated organic farming pro-tocols that mitigate climate change;

• Demonstrate comparative advantages of selected or-ganic products in decreasing amounts of concentra-tions of organophosphate pesticides found in children;

• Tailor organic farming protocols for products of ma-jor importance for Cyprus agriculture (e.g. apples and barley) to local farm characteristics;

• Organise the efficient transfer of project results to the scientific community, stakeholders and general public in Cyprus and Italy; and

• Evaluate the current situation in Cyprus (before and during project implementation) regarding the organic farming sector (farmer practices, technical stakehold-ers’ bottlenecks and consumer perceptions).

Expected results:The ORGANIKO project will include indicator-based meas-urements of climate mitigation through organic farming quality assurance schemes, in order to demonstrate the benefits of organic farming, in terms of climate mitigation and adaptation, and other areas. The project aims to dem-onstrate a viable transformation for farmers interested in organic farming practices, to help increase the market share of organic products in Cyprus. Within the four years of the project, the following results are anticipated:• A strategic national plan of mitigating climate change

in agriculture through the advancement of organic farming and its products in the Cypriot economy;

• Climate mitigation performance indicator of reduced nitrous oxide emissions is expected to lower by an

average of five per cent relative to the baseline value of 410 CO2 eq. units;

• Climate mitigation performance indicator of reduced CO2 emissions is expected to be lowered by an aver-age of 5% relative to the baseline value;

• Agricultural land used for organic farming is expected to increase by 2.5% compared with five years before the project starts.

• Urinary pesticide concentrations in children consum-ing organic products will significantly decrease when compared with children on conventional diets;

• The number of Cypriots willing to spend a marginal additional amount in euros to buy organic products is expected to increase on average by 6%;

• An average increase of organic sector by one per cent in the Cypriot market;

• The children’s health study will achieve synergies through its incorporation into a larger EU study de-sign;

• The number of farms adopting organic farming pro-tocols is expected to increase when shared and repli-cated in Italy through the project partner KC by 5% to that obtained only in Cyprus (post project activity); and

• The number of organic farming-related jobs is ex-pected to gradually increase (e.g. farming, supply chain, logistics).

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryCyprus University of Technology

Postal addressArchbishop Kyprianou Street, 30CY - 3036 LimassolCYPRUSPhone +357 25002562Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personCharalambos CRYSOSTOMOU


Total budget in euro:975,951.00


Revamping organic farming and its

products in the context of climate

change mitigation strategies

L I F E 1 4 C C M / C Y / 0 0 0 9 9 0 L I F E + O R G A N I KO

Project background

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) from agricultural production and carbon dioxide (CO2) from agricultural land use constitute some 20% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Finland. Ac-cording to the Climate Convention and Kyoto Protocol, the European Union has committed to reduce its GHG emissions. In Finland, reducing GHG emissions from the agricultural sector has proved to be particularly chal-lenging. According to the Finnish Climate Panel, the most effective means of reducing GHG emissions in agricul-ture is through changes in land use and management. However, decisions on land use are usually not based on any optimisation process and current incentives for agriculture may even favour activities that increase GHG emissions.

Project objectives

The OPAL-Life project will focus on developing and im-plementing tools and methods to support the develop-ment of agricultural and environmental policies that safeguard rural livelihoods and have reduced environ-mental impacts. The project aims to integrate sustain-able high-yielding crop and livestock production with reduced GHG emissions through:• Environmentally and socio-economically sustainable

intensification, by narrowing the existing gap between potential and harvested yields in highly productive fields, while targeting non-responsive, poor or distant fields for extensification (e.g. green fallows, buffer zones);

• The possibility of using extensified fields to allow re-covery from soil compaction and a return to food pro-duction;

• Safeguarding resilience to climate change and vari-ability through increased diversity; and

• Afforestation on fields with little capacity to recover and return to food production in the long term.

Finally, the project will monitor how this new co-exist-ence of intensification, extensification and afforesta-tion is acceptable and feasible for farmers, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of GHG reduction.

Expected results• Land use optimisation criteria and tool: a list of the

most important criteria for land use optimisation and guidelines on land use optimisation tool for public use;

• Methods demonstrated to gain prominent reductions in GHG emissions in agriculture, and their potential limitations identified;

• Forest clearance halted, especially in peat lands, due to improved coherence in agriculture and environ-mental policies;

• Biodiversity indicators in agriculture and improve-ments in crop rotation, agricultural systems and land-scape scale agriculture achieved;

• Outcomes of the OPAL-Life project are implemented into policy-making processes, especially in relation to development of the next agri-environmental Pro-gramme;

• Farmers’ interviews indicate a trend of increasing ac-ceptance of land use planning, gained through project dissemination activities on demonstration farms; and

• Economic sustainability of the land use optimisation methods evaluated.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryNatural Resources Institute Finland

Postal addressViikinkaari 4FIN – 00790 HelsinkiFINLANDPhone +358 29 531 7646 Fax N/A Email [email protected]

Name of contact personAri RAJALA



EU contribution in euro:1,182,543.00

Optimising Agricultural Land Use

to Mitigate Climate Change

L I F E 1 4 C C M / F I / 0 0 0 2 5 4 O PA L- L i fe

Project background

The European Union has a set of objectives and poli-cies to mitigate climate change and to shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. These objectives require the involvement of all European stakeholders with the support of national policy-makers.

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) has led to the development of national policies targeting the most pol-luting industries by calculating their direct greenhouse-gas emissions. However, no common framework has been proposed for reaching less-polluting organisations, for which evaluation of indirect emissions is important as a basis for reducing their global environmental foot-prints. Because of the complexity of assessing indirect emissions, only a few countries have implemented pub-lic policies in this area, even though there is demand from organisations for such schemes and support.

Project objectives

The main objective of the Clim’Foot project is to support the implementation of public policies that will give pub-lic and private organisations incentives to calculate and reduce their carbon emissions.

The sub-objectives are:• To launch a European network around the concept of

the Carbon Footprint of Organisations (CFO) in ac-cordance with EU requirements, especially the Single Market for Green Products initiative;

• To develop a capacity-building programme to train national policy-makers in the implementation of pub-lic policies for both calculating and reducing the CFO;

• To demonstrate the value of country-specific material for enhancing the involvement of local organisations in implementing carbon mitigation plans, based on a common EU framework;

• To bring together the whole value chain – from policy-makers to investors – at EU level to implement efficient mitigation plans that will both improve their environ-mental footprint and boost their competitiveness.

Expected results• The creation of a cooperation platform composed of

five national toolboxes that will be used for imple-menting five national public policies to reduce CFO;

• The training of five national policy-makers in the design and implementation of national public policies on CFO;

• The development of country-specific material that will underpin the design and implementation of public policies, in particular the creation of end-user training tools and national databases;

• The implementation of five national public policies in France, Greece, Croatia, Italy and Hungary that will help public and private organisations to calculate and/or reduce their carbon footprint. These public policies will consist of voluntary programmes that will involve at least 90 organisations;

• Matching of investors with organisations looking for funding to reduce their carbon footprint;

• The training of at least 30 European policy-makers (from the consortium) in preparation for the replica-tion and transfer of the project results; and

• The publication of at least 15 articles and five presen-tations of the project (including the organisation of an international conference) directly targeting EU policy-makers.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryAgence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie (ADEME)

Postal address20, avenue du GrésilléF - 49004 AngersFRANCEPhone +33 147652140 Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personCécile MARTIN PHIPPS




Climate Governance: Implementing

public policies to calculate and

reduce organisations’ carbon

footprint

L I F E 1 4 G I C / F R / 0 0 0 4 7 5 L I F E C l i m ’ F o o t

Project background

The building sector (considering the whole life cycle) is responsible for 40% of total European Union energy consumption and is the main contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. European legislation is focusing on existing building stock – most of which has poor in-sulation performance (with a total thermal resistance R<2 m²K/W) – which must be renovated at an increasing depth and rate to meet climate objectives. New retrofit-ting techniques have been slow to penetrate the market, however, due to a lack of experience in the construction sector. Thus, they are seldom implemented and their im-pacts are often lowered.

Project objectives

The LIFE Conipher project aims to demonstrate a high performance insulation photovoltaic envelope that makes deep renovation (DR) (i.e. retrofitting of housing stock to improve energy efficiency) more applicable and enables an increase of buildings’ resilience to climate change by meeting several objectives. Primarily, VICAT and its partners aim to develop the first ready-to-use panels for simple and rapid DR, with the panels to in-clude solar photovoltaics, concrete facade, insulation and connections (mechanical and electrical).

The technical feasibility and environmental advantages of the Conipher multi-functional panels, ‘the Conipher envelope’, will be demonstrated at a pilot site, where an occupied building will be renovated. This will dem-onstrate the adaptability and ease of installation of the technology that is applicable to a wide range of build-ings across Europe.

The group will define an economical and simple pre-cast-ing process for industrial manufacture of the Conipher solution and also prepare for large-scale market uptake. The project therefore aims to significantly contribute to the implementation of European climate and environ-mental legislation, with respect to renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies, as well as the En-ergy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC, recast in 2010) that sets strict energy targets for exist-ing buildings.

Expected results• Implementation of a demonstration installation of

the Conipher envelope;

• Demonstration of high thermal resistance perfor-mance (R);

• Reduction of primary energy use by 60%;• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 75%;• A 50% reduction in installation time in comparison

with other retrofitting techniques; and • Prototype envelope made from 85% recycled materi-

als (by weight), thus contributing to waste reduction and recycling objectives. .

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryVICAT

Postal address6, place de l’IrisF - 92095 Paris - La DéfenseFRANCEPhone +33 474184383 Fax N/A Email [email protected]

Name of contact personFlorian CHALENçON




CONcrete Insulation PHotovoltaic

Envelope for deep Renovation

L I F E 1 4 C C M / F R / 0 0 0 9 5 4 L I F E C o n i p h e r

Project background

Beef production generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-sions accounting for 6% of all human-induced emissions. Nevertheless, studies reveal that knowledge gaps exist among beef farmers about the use of innovative prac-tices to reduce GHG emissions. Beef production can also regulate climate through carbon storage in grassland. This dual role confers to livestock farming an important responsibility in the fight against climate change. France, Ireland, Italy and Spain represent 32% of the EU cattle population and a large diversity of livestock production systems.

Project objectives

The LIFE BEEF CARBON project aims to promote innova-tive livestock farming systems and associated practices to ensure the technical, economic, environmental and social sustainability of beef farms. Project partners will raise awareness among beef production actors and en-courage their commitment to improving environmental performance. This will be achieved by:• Testing and promoting innovative practices to reduce

GHG emissions and increase carbon sequestration in beef farms;

• Designing, demonstrating and disseminating innova-tive advisory approaches in livestock farming, incor-porating better environmental issues in order to im-prove advisory services; and

• Structuring, building and promoting collective and shared BEEF CARBON action plans in France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

Investigations will not only include climate change miti-gation in relation to GHG emissions and carbon storage, but also eco-systemic services and other environmental impacts of livestock farming and socio-economic issues. The project aims to meet its objectives through calcula-tion tools to assess 2 000 demonstration beef farms us-ing different production systems, to evaluate GHG emis-sions and beef carbon footprints. Decision-making tools will be used by farmers and advisors at farm level, a Eu-ropean database will be used to produce technical and environmental results from beef demonstration farms, and a carbon mitigation plan will be applied and evalu-ated in 172 innovative beef farms.

Expected results• Establishment of national BEEF CARBON action plans

in France, Italy, Ireland and Spain;

• Development of an economic and social feasibility analysis for carbon plan implementation at beef pro-duction level;

• A reduction in GHG emissions of 119 000 tonnes equivalent CO2 on the farms involved (methane, ni-trous oxide and carbon dioxide abatement in CO2), demonstrating the feasibility of meeting the goal of a 15% reduction over 10 years in the beef carbon footprint of the four participating countries; and

• Dissemination of the action plans and advisory strategy at European level through communication tools, web-sites, farm open days and other project activities.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryInstitut de l’Elevage (Idele)

Postal address149, rue de BercyF - 75595 ParisFRANCEPhone +33 21605791Fax +33 21605796Email [email protected]

Name of contact personJean-Baptiste DOLLE




Demonstration actions to mitigate

the carbon footprint of beef

production in France, Ireland,

Italy and Spain

L I F E 1 4 C C M / F R / 0 0 1 1 2 5 L I F E B E E F C A R B O N

Project background

Large parts of southern Europe with low annual precipi-tation, including Mirabello and Platanias in Crete (Greece) and Metapontino in Basilicata (Italy) are expected to be hit particularly hard by climate change. In addition, these areas are also characterised by competing water uses, including agriculture as well as tourism in Crete and in-dustry in the Basilicata area.

Maintaining a high level of production in the orchards, while cutting back considerably on water usage would free sufficient water for agriculture resilient to climate change. In contrast, a failure to adapt orchards would reinforce the trend of abandonment with adverse conse-quences for the local communities and ecosystems.

Project objectives

The project aims to provide farmers in two areas in Crete and one area in Basilicata with a methodology to adapt their orchards (olive, citrus and peach) and cultivation practices, so that they can achieve the highest possible productivity, despite low or erratic water availability in-duced by imminent climate change and competing water uses (tourism and industry). This will help secure food supplies and maintain the farmers’ income, irrespective of the prevailing weather conditions.

Equally significantly, the project aims to save water for ecosystems functions and to inform competing users about the impact of climate change on their economic activities. The project will: • Provide farmers with low-cost management practices

that can easily be adopted and exhibit high water ef-ficiency;

• Establish water management adaptation strategies at farmer organisation level;

• Determine agricultural practices that increase water efficiency in the cultivation of perennial crops;

• Prepare the pilot farms to adapt to climate change;• Build adaptive capacity and promote knowledge

transfer to farmers and farmer organisations;• Achieve a baseline for climate change awareness in

the pilot areas;• Provide a water management adaptation strategy to

be implemented by farmers and farmer organisations in other areas facing similar climate challenges in the after-LIFE period; and

• Incorporate project results in national environmental, climate change and agricultural policy and legislation.

Expected resultsThe project’s expected results will include the following:• Development and implementation of water manage-

ment adaptation strategies by the three participating farmer organisations, following consultation with key stakeholders;

• Increased water efficiency in agriculture, aiming to achieve water savings of at least 30% per farm through the implementation of the proposed agricul-tural practices;

• Maintaining or increasing productivity while applying water minimisation practices;

• Proven environmental and socioeconomic benefits for the selected sub-basins and the participating farmer organisations;

• Informing and attracting more farmer organisations to implement the project’s methodology; Spain and Cyprus will be targeted and eight additional farmer organisations;

• Evaluation of the project’s results by national compe-tent authorities in order to be incorporated in national climate and agricultural policy; and

• Transferability of the project’s results to other Medi-terranean areas.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiarySpyridis A. - Koutalou V. G.P. HYETOS

Postal addressIppodromiou sq 7GR – 54621 ThessalonikiGREECEPhone +30 2310250601Fax +30 2310230428Email [email protected]

Name of contact personElisavet PAVLIDOU




Promoting water efficiency and

supporting the shift towards a

climate resilient agriculture in

Mediterranean countries

L I F E 1 4 C C A / G R / 0 0 0 3 8 9 L I F E A g r o C l i m a Wa t e r

Project background

Climate change mitigation is a crucial objective of the Kyoto Convention, and is oriented towards reducing GHG emissions. By 2013, the EU reduced its emissions by 11%, a progress achieved through multidisciplinary strategic planning and applying measures in numerous EU policies. However, only forests’ capacity as carbon sinks were taken into consideration in the calculations, while agricultural land and farming practices were not acknowledged in GHG accounting for storing carbon in soil. This may have possibly resulted in incorrect estima-tions of the carbon dioxide balance in the atmosphere.

Accurate monitoring and accounting of carbon stocks and fluxes will result in an improved assessment of climate change and its impacts. The main indicator for measuring agricultural land and farming practices with regard to securing carbon stored in soil is the carbon dioxide balance with respect to CO2 capture and storage capacity through the application of land use, land use change and forestry.

In the EU, the agricultural sector has been embedded in a consistent strategic framework in the form of common agricultural policy (CAP) since 1954. In its latest reform (2013), the CAP acknowledged the significance of agri-culture for climate change policy.

Project objectives

The ClimaTree project aims to contribute to the develop-ment of a new methodology and provide policy-makers with an innovative tool for the quantification of carbon stor-age in permanent tree crops. The primary objectives are to:• Improve and update the estimated carbon sink ac-

counting within the EU by including the calculated tree-crop capacity;

• Estimate the socioeconomic benefit of tree crops for carbon storage and evaluate the economic dimen-sions in different climatic and economic scenarios;

• Improve the design and efficacy of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation;

• Act as a catalyst for, and promote, the integration and mainstreaming of carbon sink objectives into the ag-ricultural sector;

• Provide a more accurate and increased baseline for carbon sink capacity and improve the knowledge base for the monitoring and evaluation of effective climate change mitigation actions and measures; and

• Improve agricultural and environmental policies at

the micro-level and provide a tool for supporting the evaluation of investments related to tree crops.

Expected resultsThe main expected results of ClimaTree are:• Development of a new methodology for the account-

ing of carbon storage from permanent tree crops, contributing to a more accurate estimation of carbon sinks in EU;

• Demonstration of best tree-crop practices regarding the increase of carbon sink capacity and their related socioeconomic benefits;

• Development of a guide for the suggestion of climate change mitigation policies and their incorporation into the CAP;

• Estimation of carbon balance of tree-ecosystems for the following years;

• Development of a software application for the ac-counting of carbon sequestration by tree crops; and

• Evaluation of the economic benefits arising from tree crop sequestration.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryInstitute of Urban Environment and Human Resources - Panteion University

Postal addressAristotelous 14GR - 17671 KallitheaGREECEPhone +30 210 9247450Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personKostas BITHAS




A novel approach for accounting &

monitoring carbon sequestration

of tree crops and their potential

as carbon sink areas

L I F E 1 4 C C M / G R / 0 0 0 6 3 5 L I F E C L I M AT R E E

Project background

Agriculture is one of the economic sectors that will likely be hit hardest by climate change. In southern and warmer latitudes, such as the Mediterranean region, the potential negative impacts on crop yields are expected to significantly outweigh the potential positive impacts.

However, research regarding climate change impacts on the agricultural sectors in the project areas has so far been limited to general conclusions at national level, without focusing on the regional and local climate chang-es and their impacts on irrigation water availability, crop growth and soil quality. Even less progress has been made in the field of adaptation, since no adaptation plans have been put in place yet to identify necessary meas-ures to be integrated into national and regional policies. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive enrichment of the knowledge base in the field of climate change impact and vulnerability assessment for the agricultural sectors.

Project objectives

The project aims to facilitate the development of adapta-tion strategies for agriculture by deploying and demon-strating an innovative decision support tool. The ADAPT-2CLIMA tool will make it possible to simulate the impacts of climate change on crop production and the effective-ness of selected adaptation options in decreasing vulner-ability to climate change of three Mediterranean islands, namely Crete (Greece), Sicily (Italy), and Cyprus. The islands were selected for two reasons: firstly, they figure among the most important cultivation areas at national level. Secondly, they exhibit similarities in terms of location (climate), size, climate change threats faced (coastal agriculture, own water resources), agricultural practices and policy relevance.

In particular, the tool will provide: i) climate change pro-jections; ii) hydrological conditions related to agriculture: iii) a vulnerability assessment of selected crops; and iv) an evaluation of the adaptation options identified.

Expected resultsThe project is expected to contribute significantly to in-creasing climate resilience of agriculture areas by:• Developing, implementing and demonstrating an in-

novative and interactive decision support tool (ADAPT-2CLIMA tool) for adaptation planning in agriculture that estimates future climate change impacts on lo-

cal water resources, as well as the climate change vulnerability of the agricultural crop production in the project areas;

• Evaluating the technical and economic viability of the implementation of the ADAPT2CLIMA tool;

• Developing climate change adaptation strategies for agriculture (including a monitoring plan) for the three project areas and presenting them to the competent authorities for adoption;

• Simulating the effectiveness of the implementation of certain adaptation measures to address climate change impacts on agriculture;

• Developing a stakeholder engagement strategy;• Increasing the knowledge of the impacts of climate

change on the agricultural areas covered by the pro-ject, thus enabling well-informed decision-making and enhancing readiness for early action;

• Developing a framework for mainstreaming agricul-tural adaptation measures into relevant national and regional policies; and

• Promoting the replication and transferability of the proposed methodology in order to ensure proper coordination of national and regional policies and between authorities.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryNational Observatory of Athens

Postal addressLofos NymfonGR – 11810 AthensGREECEPhone + 30 210 8109128Fax + 30 210 8103236Email [email protected]

Name of contact personChristos GIANNAKOPOULOS




Adaptation to Climate change

Impacts on the Mediterranean

islands’ Agriculture

L I F E 1 4 C C A / G R / 0 0 0 9 2 8 L I F E A D A P T 2 C L I M A

Project background

The Marche (Italy) and Jadranska Hrvastska (Croatia) regions, the two project target areas, are located in the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion and are characterised by similar territorial and climatic conditions. Over the last decades, the two regions have been heavily affected by climate change trends, entailing mainly decreased pre-cipitation and increased temperatures. These trends are expected to continue in the future, with an increased fre-quency of extreme weather events and an even lower an-nual precipitation and river flow. Mediterranean countries moreover have less capacity to adapt to these changes and are at risk of landslides, flooding and coastal erosion.

Project objectives

The main objective of the project is to increase the cli-mate resilience of local authorities in Italy and Croatia and help them prevent and adapt to climate change impacts. This will be achieved by mainstreaming and integrating climate objectives into their local policies and practices through the adhesion to the ‘Mayors Adapt’ initiative. The ultimate objective is to adopt and upgrade the model of sustainable energy communities (SEC) in order to improve climate governance, making it a best practice model for the development of a climate change adaptation process in local authorities under the coordination of regional authorities and develop-ment agencies.

Specific project objectives are to: • Increase awareness of local and regional decision-

makers in 17 municipalities in Italy and Croatia of the importance and urgency of adopting climate change adaptation strategies;

• Reduce the knowledge gap of local and regional ad-ministrators on local climate vulnerabilities and risks;

• Have the 17 involved municipalities sign and adopt climate change adaptation strategies and plans in the framework of the ‘Mayors Adapt’ initiative by updat-ing existing sustainable energy action plans (SEAPs);

• Set up and test an energy and climate monitoring system (SEC Adapt monitoring tool) to enable the verification of the state of implementation of the se-lected mitigation and adaptation actions; and

• Facilitate the adoption of climate adaptation and mitigation policies and actions at cross-border level, drawing up a joint policy recommendation paper for a more coherent implementation of the climate and energy strategies in the macroregion.

Expected results• 17 EU municipalities will join the ‘Mayors Adapt’ ini-

tiative, producing the relevant vulnerability assess-ment analysis, baseline assessment reports, political visions for climate change, climate adaptation strat-egies and plans integrating the approved SEAPs, as well as feasibility matrixes for the evaluation of ad-aptation options;

• Some 33.1% of the population of the Marche and Jadranska Hrvastska regions will be less exposed to extreme weather and climatic events;

• 16.8% of the territory of Marche and Jadranska Hrv-astska regions will be less exposed to extreme weath-er and climatic events;

• At least 40 technical officers of 20 municipalities will be trained on how to use the energy and climate monitoring system (SEC Adapt monitoring tool), half of whom will be able to use it independently;

• At least 160 municipal political and technical repre-sentatives will become more knowledgeable about the climate adaptation process; and

• Guidelines for vulnerability and risk assessment anal-ysis and a related common index, as well as a collec-tion of sources for good practices regarding climate adaptation will be compiled.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiarySviluppo Marche SpA

Postal addressVia Gentile da Fabriano, 9I – 60125 AnconaITALYPhone +39 0718064509Fax +390718064510Email [email protected]

Name of contact personLucia CATALANI




Upgrading Sustainable Energy

Communities in Mayors Adapt

initiative by planning Climate

Change Adaptation strategies

L I F E 1 4 C C A / I T / 0 0 0 3 1 6 L i fe S E C A d a p t

Project background

The recent increase in the frequency of extreme weather events has shown that the capability of public adminis-tration bodies in terms of prevention and management of emergencies is limited. At the same time, SMEs often do not have adequate skills in risk assessment and risk management. Even if a risk management plan does ex-ist, weather events are rarely taken into consideration (Ace European Risk Briefing, 2012). These factors imply that the economy and society in general are increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

Project objectives

The specific objectives of the project are to:• Transfer knowledge from insurance companies to

public administrations and SMEs in terms of risk as-sessment and risk management for catastrophic weather events in order to create ‘resilient compa-nies’, boosting the implementation of effective local adaptation plans;

• Disseminate evaluation tools and skills for risk pre-vention developed by the insurance industry among public administration bodies and SMEs;

• Implement innovative forms of public-private govern-ance for climate catastrophes, involving SMEs, pub-lic administration bodies and insurance companies, consistent with European guidelines (EU Adaptation Strategy and Green Paper on the insurance of natural and man-made disasters) and favouring the regula-tory approach already undertaken by several Euro-pean countries; and

• Test the adoption of innovative financial instruments (e.g. impact investment) as novel adaptation solu-tions.

Expected results• Increased adaptation capability of enterprises (spe-

cifically SMEs) and public administrations, particularly in industrial urban areas;

• Increased capability of SMES to assess and manage climate-related risks;

• Improved governance of public authorities through the adoption of tools and adaption strategies;

• ‘Climate Risk Assessment and Management Tool’ (CRAM Tool) will initially be used by 30 pilot SMEs iden-tified in the industrial district in Turin and will then be made publicly available on the project website; and

• 30 pilot ‘Company Adaptation Action Plans’ (CAAP), implemented by the adaptation managers (a new po-

sition to be defined within the SMEs), carrying out 600 measures;

• ‘Integrated District Adaptation Plan’ (IDAP), an innova-tive integrated action plan for industrial districts; and

• A financial instrument, most likely an impact fund, for the implementation of resilience measures.

In the long term, the potential number of enterprises that will use the CRAM Tool (assuming a 20% uptake by the beneficiary’s clients) could reach 183 000 with a total annual turnover of €91 380.36 million and a to-tal annual added value of €18 276.07 million, involving 550 000 employees.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryUNIPOL GRUPPO FINANZIARIO

Postal addressVia Stalingrado, 45 I – 40128 BolognaITALYPhone +39 051 5072375 Fax N/A Email [email protected]

Name of contact personNicoletta TRANQUILLO




DERRIS - DisastEr Risk Reduction

InSurance

L I F E 1 4 C C A / I T / 0 0 0 6 5 0 L I F E D E R R I S

Project background

Extreme weather events related to climate change, which directly affect industrial areas, can be extreme-ly damaging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the case of flooding, enterprises face poten-tially large economic losses (e.g. through stoppages to production and damage to equipment and buildings), while heatwaves increase energy consumption and can compromise employees’ well-being. On a wider scale, drought and intense rainfall and run-off can threaten the availability of water and lead to groundwater pollu-tion, respectively. Supply chains can also be affected by climate conditions, and the effects can be widespread due to geographically dispersed actors. Environmental and social damages could be observed at the end of the supply chain, no matter where along the supply chain the extreme weather events occur.

Project objectives

The main objective of the LIFE IRIS project is to support enterprises in the Emilia-Romagna region, particular SMEs, in their efforts to become more climate resilient; and to test the effectiveness of the adaptation meas-ures applied through a cluster approach (industrial area and supply chain analysis).

The project will focus on:• Fostering the diffusion of financial tools aiming to re-

ward resilient enterprises or enterprises belonging to resilient industrial clusters;

• Promoting adaptation actions in the industry sector, based on an ecosystem approach;

• Developing green infrastructure and payments for ecosystem services (PES);

• Strengthening synergies among adaptation measures and other environmental issues, such as floods and droughts, water scarcity, biodiversity conservation, air quality and resource efficiency;

• Increasing the awareness of industrial and financial operators about the effects (threats and opportuni-ties) of climate change on industrial production; and

• Defining opportunities for new green products and new green jobs related to the adoption of climate ad-aptation measures.

Expected resultsThe project will analyse climate change impacts with the involvement of two industrial areas and one supply chain, as well as assisting action plans to implement ad-

aptation measures at industrial and supply chain scale. Moreover, for each action plan at least three sub-actions will be implemented, with at least one sub-action based on an ecosystem approach. Finally, through the develop-ment of a web portal illustrating the above-mentioned action plans and adaptation measures, and the evalua-tion of financial tools rewarding criteria for resilient en-terprises, the project expects to achieve:• An increase of 25% of industrial surface covered by

climate change adaptation measures;• A reduction of 50% in particularly vulnerable areas

(e.g. involving water management issues);• An increase of 10% of industrial buildings adopting

climate resilience measures; and• Considerable environmental benefits.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryERVET SpA - Emilia Romagna Valorizzazione Economica Territorio

Postal addressVia Morgagni, 6I – 40122 BolognaITALYPhone +39 0516450411Fax +39 0516450310Email [email protected]

Name of contact personEnrico CANCILA




Improve Resilience of Industry

Sector

L I F E 1 4 C C A / I T / 0 0 0 6 6 3 L I F E I R I S

Project background

Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are the most important greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted from agricultural and forest soils, contributing 60%, 15% and 5%, respectively, towards global warming.

Forest ecosystems generally act as a net sink for CO2, contributing to climate change mitigation by removing atmospheric CO2 and storing it in different carbon pools. Moreover, forests comprise an important carbon reser-voir, since they store about twice the amount present in the atmosphere.

Since deforestation and forest degradation are impor-tant contributors to global GHG emissions, there is a need for an innovative management plan aimed at sup-porting and facilitating all the functionalities of peri-ur-ban forests in the context of climate change mitigation.

Project objectives

The LIFE FoResMit project aims to define the guidelines of good silvicultural practices for the restoration of peri-urban degraded coniferous forests in Italy and Greece with native broadleaved species, improving the ecologi-cal stability and climate change mitigation potential of these ecosystems.

The project aims to test and verify in the field the effec-tiveness of management options for the conversion of degraded coniferous forests in meeting climate change mitigation objectives. It will provide data on vegetation structure, biomass increment, carbon accumulation in all relevant pools of vegetation and soil, and CO2 and other GHG, thus giving a complete picture of mitigation poten-tial of management practices.

Expected resultsThe project will implement an innovative thinning treat-ment, quantify and report on specific performance indi-cators for three climate change mitigation options, and provide ‘guidelines of good and sustainable silvicultural practices’ for degraded coniferous forest restoration.

Specific expected results include:• Demonstration of results concerning the three miti-

gation options: i) reduction/ prevention of emissions, ii) sequestration – enhancing uptake of carbon and iii) substitution of fossil fuels for energy production with biological products;

• Increased net primary production of the forest eco-system, due to the removal of non-growing or dead trees and the higher growth rates of remaining veg-etation, with an increment of productivity of up to 40-60%;

• An initial increase of GHG, followed by a stabilisation towards a reduction after the thinning treatment;

• The decrease of standing biomass due to harvesting will be counterbalanced by the energy cogeneration of wood material as a fossil fuels substitution option, with an expected neutral balance from living plants and a positive balance from dead trees, correspond-ing to 40% of forest biomass;

• Carbon credits deriving from the thinning intervention will be quantified;

• Selective thinning and harvesting to reduce tree den-sities and remove deadwood material will reduce the probability and intensities of fires; and

• Guidelines of good and sustainable silvicultural prac-tices for degraded coniferous forests restoration. This will update knowledge about the effectiveness of new forest management practices in meeting climate change mitigation objectives.

Recovery of degraded coniferous

Forests for environmental

sustainability Restoration and

climate change Mitigation

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryConsiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura

Postal addressVia Nazionale, 82 I – 00184 RomaITALYPhone +39 055 2491232 Fax +39 055 241485 Email [email protected]

Name of contact personAlessandra LAGOMARSINO




L I F E 1 4 C C M / I T / 0 0 0 9 0 5 L I F E F o R e s M i t

Project background

Construction is the single largest activity and industrial employer in Europe. In addition, the greatest energy sav-ing potential lies in buildings. However, sustainability in the building sector must be assessed over the whole life cycle for all building components and materials. Hous-ing has been identified as one of the three areas of consumption (together with food and drink, and private transportation) that are responsible for 70-80% of the whole life-cycle impact of products.

In Mediterranean regions, the solar radiation in summer can cause overheating of the building envelope (roof and walls) and the indoor environment, entailing the need for air-conditioning. Passive systems to limit solar effects mainly consist of ventilated facades and roofs as the ele-ment which is most exposed to solar radiation. Vented roofs can greatly reduce heat due to solar radiation, but their performance is highly dependent on roof exposure and, more importantly, their perpendicular position to the wind. The benefit of so-called ‘above sheathing ventila-tion’ (ASV) significantly decreases when the wind direction shifts from perpendicular to parallel to the eaves line. ASV positively affects thermal insulation thanks to convec-tive heat transfer. Buoyancy-driven ventilation becomes irrelevant even with a very weak wind, while the air per-meability of tiles determines an increase in performance. Thus, roof tile vents could be considered the best solution for passive thermal insulation of buildings in hot and mild climates.

Project objectives

The project aims to design and produce two types of roof tiles (Marseille and Portuguese roof tiles, which cover more than 60% of pitched roofs in Europe) with a shape characterised by higher air permeability through the overlap of the tiles and improved energy performance through under-tile ventilation. An air inlet will greatly in-crease the inflow of air and therefore the heat disposal. In addition, the tile design will be independent of wind direction, since the inlet and outlet channels will let the air flow horizontally as well as top to bottom.

The tiles will be tested on real-scale buildings with seven different roof types and located in different Mediterra-nean regions. The project’s ultimate aim is to demon-strate that the designed tiles can help save up to 50% of the energy for cooling buildings. According to these es-timates, the technology – if widely adopted in the Medi-

terranean countries – could generate annual electricity savings of between 5 000 and 13 000 GWh avoiding emissions of 1.5-3 million equivalent tonnes of CO2.

Expected resultsThe project expects to achieve:• A 50% reduction of energy consumption for cooling,

equal to a value of 2.3 W/m3;• A 50% reduction of equivalent thermal transmittance

of a vented roof (equivalent U-value), equal to 0.25 W/(m2 K);

• A 25% reduction of maximum under-tile air temperature;• A 30% increase under-tile yearly average air velocity;• A 50% reduction under-tile maximum radiation;• A 50% reduction of carbon footprint with regard to

building cooling applications in comparison with a standard pitched roof;

• A 5% reduction of electricity consumption for air con-ditioning in urban areas, equal to 25 kW/ha;

• A 10% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (con-sidering Mediterranean EU countries cooling demand) up to 1.5 Mt CO2/year; and

• A 5% reduction of air pollution (considering cooling demand of Mediterranean EU countries), up to 0.1 Mt PM2.5/year and of 1.0 Mt NOx/year.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryIndustrie Cotto Possagno S.p.A.

Postal addressVia Molinetto, 80 I – 31054 PossagnoITALYPhone + 39 03356909806Fax + 39 0423920910Email [email protected]

Name of contact personMario CUNIAL




High Energy savings in building

cooling by ROof TILEs shape

optimisation toward a better

above sheathing ventilation

L I F E 1 4 C C A / I T / 0 0 0 9 3 9 L I F E H E R OT I L E

Project background

In the last decades, flooding events linked to climate change have been increasing, raising the costs borne by communities, in terms of human life and damage to en-vironmental, social-cultural and economic assets. Local communities are now being called upon to be more ac-tive in building adaptation strategies and implementing effective early warning systems, to help build their own resilience.

Project objectives

The LIFE PRIMES project aims to build resilient communi-ties through their engagement and proactive participation in the operations of early warning and flood risk prevention measures. The project is conceived to respond to the Euro-pean challenge in the area of adaptation management, in particular early warning integrated systems, through the achievement of the following specific objectives:• Standardising the procedures of risk management and

flood prevention at trans-regional level, enhancing the coordination and management at civil protection level;

• Establishing a user-friendly web platform where all necessary information is collected and organised;

• Boosting the proactive approach to risk management and flood prevention of local communities through their involvement in implementing soft adaptation measures and actions, to strengthen their resilience against flood risk; and

• Establishing and spreading innovative forms of col-laboration among civil protection agencies and civil society, raising awareness on adaptation to climate change and on the impact of risk alert patterns.

Expected resultsAn Integrated Early Warning Model able to strengthen interaction with citizens, improve warning procedures and allow data exchange:• A common trans-regional baseline scenario obtained

by simulations of the same meteorological, climato-logical and marine parameters and climate indices;

• Standardised procedures and risk management sys-tems in case of extreme events, strengthening the co-ordination between different levels of civil protection;

• Faster warning alert management through simplified data flows and full usability of relevant information by the web-portal.

• A potential 10-15% reduction of the damage suffered by population of areas identified on movable property and to a lesser extent on real estate;

• A decrease in households/people impacted by floods and a consistent reduction of related casualties;

• An increase of financial resources allocated in munici-palities and regions’ budgets for the safety of areas af-fected by the PRIMES project through a stronger com-mitment by the mayors of the municipalities involved.

• A 5-10% reduction in the cost of recovery, storage and disposal of waste and materials carried by the floods;

• A significant reduction (possibly 100%) of the hydrau-lic hazard of flooding of natural watercourses where there are hydraulic structures/infrastructure which can be operated, implemented in line with the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) as well as in the framework of artificial channels reclamation;

• Reduced risk of flooding in the river network of pilot areas, due to the improved and increased maintenance of the minor drainage network;

• Environmental benefits in preserving biodiversity and ecosystems, due to a better maintenance of the territory;

• Manual of procedures for the homogenisation and im-plementation of prevention and warning systems;

• More than 600 local civic AAPs (adaptation action plans) developed over three years by citizens involved in the project.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryAgenzia regionale di Protezione Civile - Regione Emilia-Romagna

Postal addressViale Silvani, 6 I – 40122 BolognaITALYPhone +39 051 5274788 Fax +39 051 558545 Email [email protected]

Name of contact personClarissa DONDI




Preventing flooding RIsks by

Making resilient communitiES

L I F E 1 4 C C A / I T / 0 0 1 2 8 0 L I F E P R I M E S

Project background

Peatland drainage was carried out in Latvia through-out the Soviet era up to the 1990s. This contributed to the degradation of natural ecosystems and resulted in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from areas that previ-ously stored large amounts of carbon (carbon sinks). Ac-cording to unofficial studies, in 1991, there were about 55 000 ha of peat extraction fields in various stages of exploitation in Latvia. Currently, peat extraction licences are issued for about 25 000 ha, with areas where ac-tivities have not been carried out for at least 20 years forming an additional 20 000 ha. A general lowering of the water table prevents the natural re-vegetation of these areas. Appropriate, sustainable, and integrated management of these peatlands is therefore required to protect ecosystem services and to reduce further GHG emissions.

Project objectives

The main objectives of the LIFE REstore project are: • To develop a methodology to quantify GHG emissions

from managed wetlands in Latvia, in accordance with IPCC guidelines for national GHG inventories;

• To perform an inventory and develop a database for degraded peatlands in Latvia;

• To develop a decision-support tool for land re-use planning in degraded peatland areas, which achieves an optimal balance between ecological restoration for biodiversity, economic benefits, and GHG emission re-ductions; and

• To support policy-makers, by providing a strategic framework for implementing sustainable re-use of de-graded peatlands within the National Peat Strategy.

Expected resultsThe LIFE REstore project aims to promote sustainable and responsible management of degraded peatlands will enhance the capacity of governments, businesses and civil society in decision and policy-making processes regarding alternative approaches for degraded peatland re-use. In particular, the following results are expected:• Management plan developed for the Natura 2000

area ‘Lauga Mire Nature Reserve’; • GIS database created, with degraded peatland areas

identified through survey;• Methodology developed for GHG accounting, for key

emission source categories in managed wetlands, in accordance with IPCC guidelines;

• Criteria for peatland classification developed;

• The natural capital of degraded peatlands estimated;• Land re-use and management planning support mod-

el developed for the optimal re-use of degraded peat-lands;

• Selected land re-use optimisation models developed and management scenarios implemented for peat-land re-use in demonstration areas;

• Ecosystem services impact assessment conducted for degraded peatlands; and

• Recommendations provided for application of finan-cial and other governmental and municipal tools that are available for implementing land re-use scenarios in degraded peatlands.

It is estimated that the above mentioned activities will result in CO2 emission reductions of approximately 2 227 tonnes per year, and a CO2 storage capacity of 838 tonnes per year in Latvia.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryNature Conservation Agency

Postal addressBaznicas Street 7LV - 2150 SiguldaLATVIAPhone +37 167730078Fax +37 167730207Email [email protected]

Name of contact personAndris ŠIROVS




Sustainable and responsible

management and re-use of

degraded peatlands in Latvia

L I F E 1 4 C C M / LV / 0 0 1 1 0 3 L I F E R E s t o r e

Project background

Cities in the EU are extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts such as increased precipitation and ex-treme floods, more frequent and stronger storms, and pe-riods of more extreme heat and cold. Climate change also negatively affects infrastructure, impedes access to basic urban services, and reduces quality of life in cities.

Many cities in Poland, however, have yet to address cli-mate change. The reasons include insufficient under-standing of climate change issues, urban planning not be-ing adjusted to climate change risks, a slow response to climate disasters, and limited public awareness of climate variability and climate change-induced hazard mitigation.

Project objectives

LIFE RADOKLIMA’s overall objective is to make the city of Radom more resilient to climate change by building dem-onstration ‘green/blue infrastructure’ for managing ex-treme storm water flows and controlling local flood risks. The aim is to mitigate extreme flows of water coming from outside the city and increase storm water retention by restoring and creating multi-use retention areas (while creating habitats for biodiversity), and by re-naturalising the river to restore its natural retention capacity.

Specific objectives for the inner city are to:• Demonstrate new ways to mitigate extreme runoffs

on sealed surfaces in the inner city to minimise local flooding, extreme overflow to drainage system and in-flow to natural habitats of the city river;

• Integrate and enhance biodiversity in all project ac-tions, particularly restoration of habitats in urban wa-ter bodies and creation of micro-habitats;

• Mainstream climate adaptation into city planning and increase knowledge on the subject for informed deci-sion-making at local level through the establishment, operation and assistance of two working groups with broad stakeholder participation;

• Raise awareness of and build capacity for climate ad-aptation through building urban green/blue infrastruc-ture; and

• Exchange experience in climate change adaptation through building urban green/blue infrastructure and territorial multi-level adaptation approach.

Expected results• A climate change vulnerability assessment for the

city of Radom;

• Increased self-purification capacity of sedimentation ponds by 20%;

• Increased retention capacity of sedimentation ponds by 10%;

• Increased Borki reservoir retention capacity by 10%;• Mitigated extreme flows in the Mleczna River;• Water retention capacity in a multi-use retention area

at Potok Północny;• Restored 400-600 m stretch of the Mleczna River;• Sealed storm water channel, reducing iron content

in water and redirecting water upstream of Borki reservoir;

• Improved inflow water quality by 60% with the help of a sequential sedimentation/bio-filtration system;

• Developed and installed green/blue infrastructure, including clima-ponds, swales, tree-trench systems, green roofs, and permeable surfaces;

• Integration of biodiversity in the rainwater manage-ment system in Radom and creation of habitats for biological diversity within the city; and

• Developed education actions, compiled information material and a comprehensive best practice guide on adaptation through rainwater management in cities, disseminated through a RadomKlima portal as an in-ternet tool for climate change adaptation.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryGmina (Municipality) Radom

Postal addressul. Jana Kilinskiego, 30PL - 26-600 RadomPOLANDPhone +48 483620629Fax: +48 483620615Email [email protected]

Name of contact personSebastian MURAWSKI

Duration of project:65 months (16/07/2015– 31/12/2020)



Adaptation to climate change

through sustainable management

of water of the urban area of

Radom City

L I F E 1 4 C C A / P L / 0 0 0 1 0 1 L I F E R A D O M K L I M A - P L

Project background

A general objective of the LIFE programme is to contrib-ute to the transition to a low-carbon economy that is based on efficient use of resources and is resilient in the face of climate change. The transition should be aligned with the European Union’s greenhouse gas reduction goals: presently there is a legal obligation to achieve a 20% reduction by 2020 compared to 1990. The EU also has adopted complementary legislation that, among other priorities, promotes the development and safe use of greenhouse gas capture technologies, either at land-fill sites or in industrial processes.

Different projects have moved beyond the capturing of greenhouse gases, to using the captured gases in sys-tems that work in accordance with circular economy principles by using waste from one sector as an input for another.

Project objectives

In the LIFE_FERTILIFE project, waste gases from the ce-ramic industry will be used in agriculture as an acidifier in irrigation water. The project aims to develop a proto-type in which CO2 emissions from a ceramics factory will be captured and used to carbonate water that will be used to irrigate crops. The project will:• Demonstrate the feasibility of “carbonic fertigation” –

the injection of carbon into an irrigation system – for citrus crops, and analyse the impact of the continued use of CO2 in the soil and plant irrigation network;

• Design and implement techniques for proper CO2 dis-solution in a drip irrigation system, and monitor the implementation of the system and its deployment on different plots;

• Assess the impact of carbonic fertigation on root res-piration, and thus on total soil organic matter content; and

• Quantify the impact of carbonic fertigation on the use of chelates and other fertilisers. The use of chelates (chemical compounds) in agriculture is necessary to help plants absorb trace elements such as iron from soils with high pH, as in the Mediterranean basin.

Expected resultsThe beneficiary aims to achieve the following results:• Capture of 30-50% of the CO2 emitted by a ceramics

factory;• Development of a technology for the correct dosage

and dispersion of CO2 in an irrigation network;

• Reduction of the use of chelates by 95% through the dissolution of CO2 in irrigation water, which will pro-mote absorption by crops of iron from the soil. The project will estimate economic savings from the re-duced use of chelates; and

• The use of CO2 in the irrigation water to reduce soil respiration values by 5-10% and thus helping limit the decomposition of organic matter in the soil.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiarySistemas Avanzados Energéticos

Postal addressC/del Pinar, 5 E - 28006 MADRIDSPAINPhone +34 963522297Fax +34 963940848Email [email protected]

Name of contact personJavier PORCAR VIVES




L I F E 1 4 C C M / E S / 0 0 0 3 1 1 L I F E _ F E R T I L I F E

Agricultural carbonic fertilisation

with ceramic industry GHG

emissions

Project background

The LIFE BATTLE-CO2 project is a demonstration project that will examine the technical, economic and environ-mental feasibility of the substitution of fossil fuels in as-phalt mix manufacturing plants, specifically in the three main processes from which emissions are generated: ag-gregate drying, bitumen heating and electricity generation.

Project objectives

The LIFE BATTLE-CO2 project will demonstrate the in-corporation of biomass as an alternative fuel in asphalt mix manufacturing, which is typically linked to the use of fossil fuels.

The project will develop a new plant configuration, es-tablishing a completely fossil fuel-free manufacturing process for asphalt mixes. The use of diesel and fuel oil will be avoided in the thermal energy processes in the plant (aggregates and bitumen heating), and elec-tricity will be generated using the gases from biomass combustion. Biomass incorporation and the reduction of other contaminants associated with the combustion of fossil fuels will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the ash from biomass combus-tion will be tested as a soil stabiliser that can poten-tially replace high impact materials currently used for this purpose, such as cement and lime. The project will thus optimise the use of biomass and reduce the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process and the life cycle of the asphalt mix product.

Tests will be carried out to evaluate the quality of the new products by, for example, laying down different as-phalt mixes at a construction site. This will demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of the new manufacturing process. Finally, the project will develop a protocol for generating the Product Category Rules (PCRs) for a new Environmental Product Declara-tion (EPD) for asphalt mixes that will allow other compa-nies to calculate their environmental impacts.

Expected resultsThe expected project results are:• Elimination of 100% of fossil fuels, an 80% reduction

of greenhouse gas emissions (16.658 kg CO2 equiva-lent savings), a 35% reduction of carbon monoxide emissions (5.75 kg CO2 savings) and a 90% reduction of sulphur oxides (35 kg SOx savings) in asphalt mix manufacturing plants;

• Cost savings in asphalt manufacturing of 40% from reduced fuel costs (€812 savings);

• Technical and mechanical assessment of the materi-als and products obtained using biomass as an alter-native fuel;

• A fossil fuel-free pilot plant connected to an industrial asphalt mix plant, capable of producing at least 40 tonnes per hour (t/h) of asphalt mix, and of manu-facturing 200 t/h of recycled asphalt mix with a 25% reduction in the use of fossil fuels;

• A demonstration of the use of new materials from the biomass plant in construction projects, totalling 1 000 tonnes of asphalt mix and 7 200 m2 of pave-ment;

• Development of the PCRs in order to obtain the first international EPD for asphalt mix; and

• Closing of the biomass life cycle loop by using the ash from biomass combustion as a soil stabiliser.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryFundación CARTIF

Postal addressParque Tecnológico de Boecillo, 205E - 47151 Boecillo (Valladolid)SPAINPhone +34 983548818Fax +34 983546521Email [email protected]

Name of contact personJosé Ramón PERÁN




Biomass incorporation in AsphalT

manufacturing Towards Less

Emissions of CO2

L I F E 1 4 C C M / E S / 0 0 0 4 0 4 L I F E B AT T L E - C O 2

Project background

The link between the provision of key ecosystem ser-vices (e.g. soil retention, temperature regulation, polli-nation) and socio-ecosystems (e.g. mountain Mediterra-nean scrub, coastal dune forests) in three Mediterranean Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) is well established on the basis of long-term management experience and sci-entific knowledge. Habitats in the NPAs, however, are be-ing affected by climate change.

Project objectives

The project aims to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on key ecosystem services in three representative Mediterranean NPAs of socio-economic importance:• A Mediterranean wetland: Doñana Nature Space (a

nature & national park and biosphere reserve);• A Mediterranean high mountain range: Sierra Nevada

nature area (a nature & national park and biosphere reserve); and

• A subdesert Mediterranean coastal area: Cabo de Gata Nature Park (also a biosphere reserve).

The project will focus on developing, implementing, moni-toring, evaluating and disseminating adaptive manage-ment measures. It will use an ecosystem approach and ad-dress socio-ecosystems identified as key for the provision of, among other things, soil retention, pollination, pastures (net primary production), temperature regulation, water provision, prevention of forest fires, and desertification.

It aims to implement and test actions and tools in dif-ferent representative Mediterranean ecosystems that are especially sensitive to climate change (e.g. wetlands, mountain areas and subdesert areas) in order to provide data, experience and tools to other decision-makers, land managers and stakeholders facing these threats.

Expected resultsThrough adaptive management of strategic ecosystems (mountain Mediterranean shrubs, pine woods, pre-desert scrubland, coastal dune woods and Quercus woods) in three NPAs, a contribution will be made to protect their key ecosystem services from climate change.

Specific results include:• A 45 ha seed and plantation of cork oaks, wild olive

and Pistacia lentiscus trees;• The planting of 1 800 Junipers; 250 pines and 150-

200 Mediterranean shrubs;

• A 10% increase in water availability through the res-toration of traditional irrigation channels;

• Pruning carried out on 50 ha of holm oaks;• Thinning carried out on 200 ha of pine forest;• Chemical treatment of 200 cork oaks against Phy-

tophthora cinnamomi, a soil-borne mold;• Installation of 260 biodiversity boxes; • Construction of 1 km of soil retention structures; and• Tilling carried out on 10 ha of pastures

The project will also produce six good practice manuals covering climate adaptation management practices for shrubs, pine woods, pre-desert scrubs, mountain forests and for combating cork oak pests.

All the project actions will be assessed using the pro-ject’s specially-developed tools and methodologies: a first set of indicators will enable the assessment of progress during their implementation; a second set of indicators will assess their effectiveness.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryJunta de Andalucía - Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio

Postal addressAvda Manuel Siurot, 50 E - 41071 SevillaSPAINPhone +34 958980238Fax +34 958026310Email [email protected]

Name of contact personFrancisco Javier SÁNCHEZ GUTIÉRREZ




Protection of key ecosystem

services by adaptive management

of Climate Change endangered

Mediterranean socioecosystems

L I F E 1 4 C C A / E S / 0 0 0 6 1 2 L I F E A D A P TA M E D

Project background

Transport is one of the main causes of diffuse green-house gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for about a third of anthropogenic emissions. The study of new technolo-gies to mitigate emissions from the transport sector is of high strategic value to achieving the objectives of the EU, within the framework of international protocols to com-bat climate change. New technologies promoting biom-ethane production will significantly contribute to improved air quality, especially in densely populated areas, as CO2

emissions of vehicles fuelled by biomethane are lower than emissions from vehicles fuelled by gasoline, and NOx emissions are considerably reduced compared to diesel engines.

Project objectives

LIFE METHAmorphosis aims to change waste manage-ment usage, reduce energy consumption and produce high quality biomethane as a vehicle fuel, thereby mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable mobility. It proposes to demonstrate on an industrial scale, two innovative waste treatment systems: the UMBRELA system in urban waste plants, which com-bines a new anaerobic membrane process (AnMBR) with autotrophic nitrogen removal (Annamox ELAN®); and the METHAGRO system in agro-industrial and oth-er organic waste treatment plants (for mainly slurry), which is a high efficiency system that combines pre-treatment processes.

Both plants will be built, commissioned and operated. The aim is initially to monitor the quality of products or effluents obtained, and the optimal configuration of the operating systems for obtaining a high-quality product at the lowest energy and environmental costs. This will be targeted at improving the profitability of treatment plants. This will enable and encourage the reopening of many currently closed plants, thus producing a multi-plier effect with significant environmental impact at Eu-ropean level. Moreover, the suitability of the use of the renewable biomethane derived by the waste streams will be tested in the automotive sector, in different ve-hicles, light and heavy, from an economic, regulatory, environmental and technical point of view.

Expected resultsFor the treatment of urban effluents, based on the com-bination of AnMBR and ELAN technology and the recov-ery of agro-industrial waste:

• High efficiency and low pollution, thanks to a pre-dicted 70% reduction in energy demand required in the process and an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with existing systems;

• Increased production of biogas;• Production and recovery of nitrogen;• Increased profitability by obtaining products with high

added value such as biomethane with more than 80% ofCH4 concentration; and

• Increased quality of the treated water, which can be reused.

For the use of biomethane as transport fuel:• A reduction of 80% in CO2 emissions in the global

balance, i.e. ‘well-to-wheel’ (WtW), compared to com-pressed natural gas (CNG) currently marketed;

• Reduction of GHG emissions;• Up to 20.17 kT (kilotonne) of CO2 emissions avoided

by the use of CNG in vehicles, as well as an annual reduction of particulate emissions of about 6.21 kg per vehicle, due to the METHAGRO system activity;

• Partial compliance with the objectives of the Span-ish Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy plans for 2011-2020, the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) and EU objectives in promoting biofuels.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryFCC AQUALIA

Postal addressC/Federico Salmón, 13E - 28016 MadridSPAINPhone +34 913054458Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personFrank ROGALLA




Waste streams treatment for

obtaining safe reclaimed water

and biomethane for transport

sector to mitigate GHG emissions

L I F E 1 4 C C M / E S / 0 0 0 8 6 5 L I F E M E T H A m o r p h o s i s

Project background

Certain coastal habitats such as marshes and seagrass meadows, including Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows, are significant carbon sinks, both in terms of the intensity of gas sequestration and carbon deposits that are stored for thousands of years. Despite the im-portance of this, and other ecosystem services, these habitats are disappearing at a rate four times greater than terrestrial forests.

Project objectives

The project’s main aim is to quantify the carbon de-posits and the sequestration rates of marsh and sea-grass meadow habitats in Andalusia. An emphasis will be placed on what is accumulated under the ground or sea, as well as analysing predicted future developments, from the carbon loss rate, to potential carbon fixation and accumulation rates, and the emission/sequestration ratio of carbon from damaged meadow zones into the atmosphere.

This information will enable an approximate evaluation of the environmental services created by these habitats to be made. It should also encourage existing initiatives to finance conservation and restoration projects of blue car-bon sink-habitats and the development of key policies for mitigating and adapting to climate change, with special attention to carbon emissions trading or carbon markets.

Expected results• Project calculations of the carbon stocks and carbon

flows for the Neptune grass sink in Andalusia; and the carbon sink of other marsh and seagrass habitats in the Bay of Cadiz, the Strait, and the Odiel Marshes;

• Assessments of the environmental services provided by the above habitats, as carbon sinks in mitigating climate change and enabling the selection of pilot sites for the conservation and re-vegetation of the most valued/most threatened areas;

• Models built that allow for an essential description of these carbon sinks, which describe their capacity, time and maximum sequestration potential, or the net rate of CO2 release in the case of habitat destruction;

• Tools developed to facilitate the implementation of strategies for the conservation of these carbon sinks using regulated/voluntary carbon markets, such as the Andalusian verification standard of carbon cred-its, created for carbon offset projects based on the conservation of Neptune grass; and

• Encouraging dialogue at a national level about how blue carbon habitats can be incorporated into the national inventory of greenhouse gases, which will create a network of companies and organisations in-volved in the carbon trading market.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryJunta de Andalucía - Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio

Postal addressAvda Manuel Siurot, 50E - 41071 SevillaSPAINPhone +34 671591980Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personRosa MENDOZA




Andalusian blue carbon for climate

change mitigation: quantification

and valorisation mechanisms

L I F E 1 4 C C M / E S / 0 0 0 9 5 7 L I F E B l u e N a t u r a

Project background

In order to mitigate against the negative impacts of climate change, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper (COM(2006) 105 final) establishing a Euro-pean Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy. Additionally, Directive 2009/28/CE (Renewables Directive) established that 20% of energy consump-tion in the European Union must come from renewable sources by 2020. A Eurostat report in 2012 indicated that 14% of energy consumption in the EU came from renewable sources, so the path will be steeper in the final stage. In January 2014, the “Blue Energy” action plan emphasised support for energy generated by wave and tidal power. Galicia has a potential for up to 75 kW per metre of wave front (and an average of 40 kW). This makes it one of the areas with the best potential for wave and tidal power generation worldwide, with good accessibility and an exceptional proximity to points of consumption.

Project objectives

The main objective of the LIFE DEMOWAVE project is to demonstrate the viability of two wave energy converter (WEC) devices, which have already been researched and patented, for electricity generation. The two prototypes, each one scaled at 25 kW, will be manufactured, in-stalled and tested to demonstrate their socio-economic viability, as well as transferability potential, based on their robust design and systems efficiency (e.g. survival capacity under extreme weather conditions). The project also aims to highlight the environmental benefits of the system, by quantifying the reduction of carbon footprint and other pollutants along the entire cycle, in compari-son with other technologies, and identifying and mini-mising its impact on biodiversity.

Expected results• Demonstration of the technical viability and survival

capacity of two WEC prototypes (of 25 kW) on the Galician coast under extreme conditions (e.g. wind speeds of BEAUFORT 8);

• Demonstration of the energy efficiency, power quality and high generation ratio (above 75%) of the sys-tems;

• Demonstration of the electricity generation potential of these systems in comparison with other solutions;

• Extrapolation of the results through accurate meas-urement of wave attenuation, so that models and de-signs could be applied and scaled-up in any location

to ensure the technology’s transferability;• Measurement of the carbon footprint throughout the

life cycle of the WECs and establishment of a calcula-tion method to quantify their impact (ISO Standards);

• Qualitative and quantitative determination of the pa-rameters to characterise the environmental impact on marine biodiversity and the environment, including an analysis of pollutants and damage to the seafloor;

• Demonstration of the low environmental impact com-pared with other technologies;

• Energy and environmental comparative report for all energy generation technologies in the marine envi-ronment; and

• Establishment of a methodology to minimise damage during installation in the marine environment.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryQuantum Innovative S.L.

Postal addressParque Empresarial Terciario - Porto do MolleRúa do Labrego, 22E - 36350 NigranSPAINPhone +34 986118888Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personGonzalo HERRERO MENA




Demonstration of the efficiency

& environmental impact of wave

energy converters (WEC) in

high-energy coasts

L I F E 1 4 C C M / E S / 0 0 1 2 0 9 L I F E D E M OWAV E

Project background

The pulp and paper industry in Europe and globally is a major user of electricity and emits large quantities of CO2 (5% of the world’s total industrial energy consumption in 2007, amounting to 2% of direct CO2 emissions from the industrial sector). The wastewater treatment within the pulp and paper industry normally comprises a primary treatment for removal of suspended solids such as fibres and bark particles. Sedimentation, flotation and filtration techniques can be applied. The remaining wastewater needs to be cleaned to remove dissolved organic mat-ter and an aerobic biological treatment is thus applied. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is reduced by the action of active microorganisms, degrading the organic matter in the wastewater. Normally the biological treatment is run to obtain the lowest possible sludge yield, while ob-taining a high COD reduction. One of the reasons is that the sludge is seen as a waste that needs to be disposed of and not as a resource. The waste sludge within pulp and paper production is often dewatered and disposed of by incineration. Incineration of wet waste sludge has a nega-tive energy balance and fuel needs to be supplied, which is a cost for the mills.

Project objectives

The main aim of the EffiSludge for LIFE project is to build and operate the first ever demonstration plant that substantially increases the biogas potential from wastewater generated within the pulp and paper indus-try, and at the same time lowers electricity consump-tion by 50%.

The project will introduce an innovative process at pilot scale, by modifying the aerobic bio-treatment for in-creased production of waste sludge. The waste sludge from the bio-treatment will be used as a substrate for anaerobic digestion to biomethane, with sludge produc-tion being optimised for this purpose. The final volume of residue sludge, after implementation of the EffiSludge concept, including anaerobic digestion, will be less than if the actions had not been implemented. In addition, biomethane will be produced from the organic matter in the wastewater.

Expected resultsIn comparison with the state-of-the-art within waste-water treatment at European pulp and paper mills, the EffiSludge for LIFE project is expected to give the follow-ing results:

• The electricity consumption in the aerobic wastewater treatment will be reduced by at least 50% per unit of wastewater;

• Biomethane corresponding to 0.10 – 0.15 Nm3/kg in-going wastewater COD will be produced; and

• No negative effect on the quality of the outgoing wastewater should be observed, i.e. the levels of out-going COD, nitrogen and phosphorus will be the same or lower than before the process change, and the final amount of residue sludge (after anaerobic digestion) will be less than that currently generated in the aero-bic treatment; and

• The residue sludge generated from the EffiSludge process (after anaerobic digestion) will be less prob-lematic to dewater than the waste sludge generated in the conventional bio-treatment, and higher dry matter content can thus be obtained before incin-eration.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryScandinavian Biogas Fuels AB

Postal addressHolländargatan 21AS - 111 60 StockholmSWEDENPhone +46 739939573Fax N/A Email [email protected]

Name of contact personJorgen EJLERTSSON

Duration of project:52 months (01/09/2015 - 31/12/2019)



An innovative concept to improve

resource and energy efficiency

in treatment of Pulp and Paper

industry effluents

L I F E 1 4 C C M / S E / 0 0 0 2 2 1 E f f i S l u d g e fo r L I F E

Project background

Climate change is a global development issue, with the potential to cause serious problems for the urban envi-ronment:• Increased flood risk because of increased precipita-

tion and rising water levels;• Increased temperatures resulting from the urban

heat island effect; and• Deterioration of native flora and fauna on land and in

water.

Rotterdam is the first major European city with an ap-proved climate adaptation strategy. Implementation in public areas is ongoing, but to make real strides, climate adaptation has to be significantly scaled up. This re-quires the participation of not just the City of Rotterdam, but also other private and public stakeholders in the tar-geted areas.

This complicated process requires close collaboration with all relevant parties to identify mutual benefits from the implementation and maintenance of effective cli-mate adaptation measures.

Project objectives

The main goal of LIFE URBAN-ADAPT is to demonstrate an innovative, participatory approach as an essential el-ement in creating acceptance and commitment among the public and stakeholders for large-scale implemen-tation of urban adaptation strategies and related meas-ures. The project will test a participatory approach in two different settings. The project will also create a blueprint for development of a climate change strategy and for participatory decision-making processes that are necessary for implementing urban climate adapta-tion strategies on a large scale. Finally, the project will increase the climate resilience of two districts (ZoHo and the Nieuwe Maas), while restoring their eco-sys-tems and biodiversity.

Expected resultsThe project will implement two participatory urban cli-mate adaptation approaches in very different settings, with the following concrete outcomes:• In ZoHo:

- 11 550 m2 of newly planted green infrastructure;- 10% reduction of nitrogen dioxide air pollution;- Placement of 100 (SMART) water barrels;- 800 m3 additional water storage capacity;

- 20% reduction in reported sewage overflow events;- 0.5 degrees Celsius reduction of surface tempera-

ture; and- 250 people involved in climate adaptation strate-

gies.• In the Nieuwe Maas:

- 37 500 m2 innovative green borders in Nassau-haven and Mallegatpark;

- A significant increase in biodiversity at the demon-stration sites;

- A significant improvement in water quality at the demonstration sites;

- Improvements in public perception and engage-ment in the targeted areas;

- 37 500 m2 reduction in hard river banks; and- Improved accessibility and use of riverside areas.

Beneficiary:Name of beneficiaryGemeente Rotterdam

Postal addressCoolsingel 40PO Box 6575NL - 3011 AD RotterdamTHE NETHERLANDSPhone +31 104894189Fax N/AEmail [email protected]

Name of contact personCleo POUW




Demonstrating urban climate

adaptation and resilience in inner

city Rotterdam

L I F E 1 4 C C A / N L / 0 0 0 3 0 2 L I F E U R B A N - A D A P T

doi:10.2779/90427

LIFE “L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement” / The financial instrument for the environment

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action

Period covered 2014-2020

EU funding available approximately €3.46 billion

Allocation of funds Of the €3.46 billion allocated to LIFE, €2.59 billion are for the Environment sub-programme, and €0.86 billion are for the Climate Action sub-programme. At least €2.8 billion (81% of the total budget) are earmarked for LIFE projects financed through action grants or innovative financial instruments. About €0.7 billion will go to integrated projects. At least 55% of the budgetary resources allocated to projects supported through action grants under the sub-programme for Environment will be used for projects supporting the conservation of nature and biodiversity. A maximum of €0.62 billion will be used directly by DG Environment and DG Climate Action for policy development and operating grants.

Types of projects Action Grants for the Environment and Climate Action sub-programmes are available for the following:> “Traditional” projects – these may be best-practice, demonstration, pilot or information, awareness and

dissemination projects in any of the following priority areas: LIFE Nature & Biodiversity; LIFE Environment & Resource Efficiency; LIFE Environmental Governance & Information; LIFE Climate Change Mitigation; LIFE Climate Change Adaptation; LIFE Climate Governance and Information.

> Preparatory projects – these address specific needs for the development and implementation of Union environmental or climate policy and legislation.

> Integrated projects – these implement on a large territorial scale environmental or climate plans or strategies required by specific Union environmental or climate legislation.

> Technical assistance projects – these provide financial support to help applicants prepare integrated projects.

> Capacity building projects – these provide financial support to activities required to build the capacity of Member States, including LIFE national or regional contact points, with a view to enabling Member States to participate more effectively in the LIFE programme.

Further information More information on LIFE is available at http://ec.europa.eu/life.

How to apply for LIFE funding The European Commission organises annual calls for proposals. Full details are available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life.htm

Contact European Commission – Directorate-General for the Environment – B-1049 Brussels ([email protected]).

European Commission – Directorate-General for Climate Action – B-1049 Brussels ([email protected]). European Commission – EASME – B-1049 Brussels ([email protected]).

Internet http://ec.europa.eu/life, www.facebook.com/LIFE.programme, twitter.com/life_programme, www.flickr.com/life_programme/.

LIFE Publication / Climate Action - LIFE Projects 2014

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