Commission announces winners of LIFE Awards 2024

During the EU Green Week, the Commission announced the winners of this year’s edition of the LIFE Awards. The LIFE Awards recognise the most innovative, inspirational and effective projects financed by the EU’s LIFE Programme in three categories: nature protection; circular economy and quality of life; and climate action. Selected among LIFE projects from across the EU, the winners of this year’s edition included projects that restore rivers, produce animal feed from waste insect protein, and plant trees to cool cities.

The LIFE Award for Nature went to LIFE Flusserlebnis Isar which aims to restore the river Isar and its floodplains through a unique collaboration between Bavarian water and nature authorities. Winning the LIFE Award for Circular Economy and Quality of Life, LIFE Waste2Protein pilots innovative insect protein-based animal feed produced from biowaste as a sustainable alternative to fish and soy meal. The LIFE Award for Climate Action went to LIFE TreeCheck, for helping Central European cities tackle climate change using green infrastructure to minimise the urban heat island effect. Winners were selected by representatives from the European Environment Agency, the Committee of the Regions and civil society.

Following a public vote, the LIFE Citizens’ Prize was awarded to Life+ Nature Guardians, a project fighting environmental crime such as dumping waste and killing wildlife across Spain and Portugal. Finally, a special category introduced at this year’s edition to recognise the vital and indispensable role of clean water in the life of every European was awarded to Freshabitat LIFE IP.

Source: European Commission