UK green projects bag €49.7m from EU fund
The UK has secured €49.7 million (£40.8m) from the European Commission for 11 projects aimed at protecting the environment and tackling climate change.
It is part of a €282.6 million (£232.2m) fund which was awarded to 225 new projects under the LIFE+ programme, the EU’s environment fund.
The Commission said it received more than 1,400 applications in response to its latest call for proposals which closed in June last year.
Two of the UK projects that won the cash include the London Community Resource Network, which aims to encourage residents to create social enterprises for recycling bulky furniture and white goods and a Shanks Group project that plans to create a new process for producing bio-methanol.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “These latest projects will make a vital contribution to the preservation, conservation and enhancement of Europe’s natural capital as well as helping to achieve sustainable growth through investment in a low carbon and resource efficient economy.”
The LIFE+ programme will continue from 2014-2020 under the new LIFE Regulation for Environment and Climate Action, with a budget of around €3.4 billion (£2.8bn).
