Deadline: 12-Apr-23
The European Commission (EC) is accepting proposals for its Ocean and Coastal Waters Carbon and Biodiversity-Rich Ecosystems and Habitats.
Scope
The ocean and coastal ecosystems and habitats play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, representing the largest long-term carbon sink. Over the past decade, research efforts to understand the ocean and blue carbon sinks and utilize their potential in climate mitigation frameworks has increased. There are remaining research gaps for advancing opportunities to incorporate potential ocean and blue carbon ecosystems into climate frameworks. Evaluating and quantifying the broad range of benefits provided by coastal and marine ecosystems should strengthen the ability to account for them in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs). Avoiding and reversing the loss and degradation and restoring carbon- and species-rich ecosystems in the ocean and coastal waters is highly effective and of highest importance for combined biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation actions with large adaptation co-benefits. If degraded or lost, these ecosystems are likely to release most of their carbon back into the atmosphere.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
Successful proposals are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Better understood and enhanced mitigation potential of ecosystems, based on sustainable management of natural resources and climate change mitigation fostered through the maintenance and enhancement of natural carbon sinks and stocks, while preserving or enhancing biodiversity in ecosystems, in support of a sustained European leadership in ocean–climate–biodiversity nexus science;
- Advanced understanding and science in support of adaptation and resilience of natural and managed marine and polar ecosystems in the context of a changing climate, including its interaction with other natural or anthropogenic stressors such as pollutants, invasive species or marine construction, and better understood impacts of climate change on coastal zones (including the associated ecosystems) and improved adaptive capacity of ocean and marine systems, including by unlocking the potential of nature-based solutions;
- Uncovered mitigation opportunities of newly emerging European and polar blue carbon habitats (novel habitats emerging due to the rising atmospheric CO2 that is intensifying climate change but also driving global and particularly polar greening; polar blue carbon increases with losses of marine ice (sea ice, ice shelf and glacier retreat) that generates a valuable negative feedback on (mitigating) climate change);
- Reduced knowledge gaps for enabling the inclusion of carbon- and biodiversity-rich marine habitats and accounting in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and associated national climate plans and strategies (NAPs), such as additional national data collection, science and technical capacity, as well as significant contributions made to the implementation of the European Green Deal, particularly the climate and biodiversity objectives, the UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and global scientific assessments.
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions,
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States,
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- the following low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.