By the power of sunlight, forests turn huge amounts of carbon in the air into food: sugars for themselves and leaves, bark and roots that feed animals and microbes. Respiration, which happens in the cells of all living things in the forest, releases energy from that food and carbon dioxide (CO₂) back into the air.…
Herbal remedies have been handed down through generations for centuries. Sadly, many of our ancient populations of medicinal plants are now under threat of extinction due to environmental pressure and degradation. Overexploitation of land in combination with climate change poses a never-before experienced threat to ecosystems and their inhabitants. Among the casualties are the plants…
Yearning for a book that looks, feels and smells like an ordinary book, but that you can also connect wirelessly to digital devices? Well, your wish may soon come true thanks to a Greek start-up backed by an EU-funded project. As any book lover will tell you, there’s nothing quite like holding a book in…
The European City Facility (EUCF) assists municipalities with fast and simplified financial support of €60,000 for developing investment concepts delivering local sustainable energy projects. More than €2 million of funding are available through a series of regional calls to support over 200 municipalities over the next two years. The EUCF funding is open to municipalities/local authorities,…
Groundbreaking research into molecular construction has earned German chemist Benjamin List the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, making him the third EU-backed laureate this year. It has been a rewarding year for Europe. Right on the heels of the Physics prize awarded to two EU-backed scientists, a third—Benjamin List—has won the 2021 Nobel Prize in…
Their pioneering work in complex physical systems has earned German climate modeller Klaus Hasselmann and Italian theoretical physicist Giorgio Parisi the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics, which they share with US-based climatologist Syukuro Manabe. EU-funded scientists Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi have won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics. They share the award with a…
The LIFE Clean Energy Transition Call for Proposals 2021 includes 18 topics open for submitting your proposals. Funding is available for your project ideas to: build the policy framework for the Clean Energy Transition at local, regional and national level accelerate the market for the Clean Energy Transition with the roll-out of technology, digitalisation, new…
The EU Green Deal sets a target for 25 per cent of agricultural land to be organic by 2030. Meeting this ambitious goal demands continuous research and innovation in sustainable food production. The CORE Organic Cofund is helping to drive this transition by increasing cooperation between international research activities. Delivering on the EU’s ambitions for…
Europe’s agricultural success has come at the cost of a reliance on a small number of high-yielding crops, supported by high inputs of fertilisers and pesticides. Diversifying the crops we grow can support the ecological processes necessary to preserve biodiversity and ensure healthier and more sustainable diets. The industrialisation of agriculture, with the corresponding focus…
Desalination is the answer to long-term water security, but it’s also expensive and energy-intensive. The good news is that scientists are developing some viable solutions. The first desalination plant in Europe was built in Spain nearly a half century ago. Since then, facilities have sprung up in water-stressed regions throughout Europe. Just a few years…