The EU’s LIFE programme has announced the winners of the 2020 LIFE Awards. Now in their 14th year, the Awards recognise the most innovative, inspirational and effective LIFE projects in three categories: nature, environment and climate action.

A virtual ceremony was held as part of the EU Green Week 2020 – Europe’s biggest and most important environmental event.

From 15 finalists, three projects were chosen by a high-level jury as this year’s LIFE Awards winners:

Life Award for Nature:

LIFE DINALP BEAR (Slovenia) – managing and monitoring brown bear populations in the northern Dinarides and southeastern Alps.

LIFE Award for Environment:

Flaw4Life (Portugal) – creating an alternative market for fruit and vegetables that were considered too small, too large, or too ugly to sell in regular outlets.

LIFE Award for Climate Action:

FIRELIFE (Hungary) – providing information to teachers, social workers, farmers, and forest fire prevention experts to enhance forest fire prevention across the country.

The jury comprised European Parliament President David Sassoli, PhD candidate at Imperial College London Luciana Miu, and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Ambroise Fayolle.

The winning projects were selected for their outstanding contribution to environmental, economic and social advancements. They also showed excellence in impact, replicability, policy relevance, cross-border cooperation and cost-effectiveness.

Also, a special, Adapting to COVID-19 Award, went to Italy’s PrepAIR project team for its outstanding work during the pandemic.

Finally, the LIFE Citizens’ Prize saw the public get to know the finalists and vote for their preferred candidate online.  As well as being judged the best project in the environment category, Flaw4Life also won the LIFE Citizens’ Prize.

 

Source: European Commission