Green Deal: a €1 billion H2020 call next September

In September 2020, the European Commission will launch a €1 billion H2020 call reserved for projects relating to the Green Deal, its new flagship initiative to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Schedule

→ July 2020 : update of the 2020 Work Programme → September 2020 : Green Deal call opens → January 2021 : deadline for applications

A thousand billion euro investment plan

The European Commission wants to cut the Union's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% or even 55% by 2030. It has therefore put the Green Deal at the heart of its project, with a €1 trillion investment plan that will gather public and private investment through financial instruments. Circular economy is the number one priority of this Green Deal and concentrates half of the reductions in carbon emissions expected by 2050. These commitments have already been translated for the current year, especially with an EIC Accelerator call dedicated to Green Deal issues.

Green Deal : a €1 billion H2020 call next September

As early as next September, the European Commission will launch a €1 billion H2020 call for proposals meeting the Green Deal priorities, to be submitted until January 2021. The approach and structure of this call will be different from the other H2020 calls, as the Commission wants concrete and operational solutions to be found quickly in order to respond to the environmental emergency. The focus will therefore be on the impact of projects, which will have to concentrate their resources and efforts on specific themes.

Targeted actions and topics

To this end, preference should be given to Innovation Actions (IA), around solutions that have already reached a certain level of maturity, without setting aside Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Proposals highlighting pilot projects, demonstration projects and innovative products should therefore be favoured. Projects may also aim to target lead markets, address governance issues, standardisation needs, and ensure sustainable market opportunities. Attention will also be paid to the involvement of civil society and local authorities that have had little involvement in innovation projects so far.

The 8 main sections of the September call will correspond to the Green Deal work streams (see diagram below).

Among them, the area "Supplying clean, affordable and secure energy" will focus on energy efficiency and integration of renewable energies, smart grids, carbon capture, energy storage and sectoral integration.

The "Accelerating  the shift to sustainable and smart mobility" theme will address electromobility, alternative fuels, and multimodal, connected and automated mobility to reduce congestion and pollution in urban areas.

There will also be a section on "Mobilising industry for a clean and circular Economy".