Horizon Europe Opens €66M Climate Funding Calls
The European Union's Horizon Europe program has opened two new research funding calls, each offering €33 million. The first call targets new CO2 capture technologies, while the second seeks innovative pathways for creating low-carbon, climate-resilient building stock. Both calls have a deadline of February 17, 2026, and require proposals to address stakeholder engagement and social impact.
- This funding is part of Horizon Europe's "Cluster 5," which focuses on Climate, Energy, and Mobility and has a total budget of €15.123 billion for the 2021-2027 period. The program as a whole has a total budget of €95.5 billion. - These specific calls align with the broader European Green Deal, which aims to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050. Over 35% of the total Horizon Europe budget is allocated to address climate change objectives. - The predecessor to Horizon Europe was the Horizon 2020 program, and the current iteration introduces new features like "missions" with concrete goals, such as creating 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. - The overall success rate for Horizon Europe funding applications has been around 16-17%, which is an increase from the approximate 12% success rate under the previous Horizon 2020 program. - An example of a previously funded project in the sustainable building sector is the INBUILT project, which received €7.3 million in EU contributions to demonstrate 10 innovative, low-carbon footprint building products and systems. - In the realm of carbon capture, the EU has also funded projects through the Innovation Fund, which supports technologies for carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) to help decarbonize energy-intensive industries like cement and lime production. - The call for new CO2 capture technologies aims to significantly lower the cost of both point-source capture and direct air capture, making the resulting CO2 pure enough for transport and long-term storage. - The focus on creating a climate-resilient building stock involves supporting innovative materials and technologies for energy-efficient construction and renovation, including solutions for heating, cooling, and smart building management.
