Mountain huts by their nature are remote, off the grid and dependent on fuel deliveries. The LIFE SustainHuts project is showing that installing green technologies in extreme conditions can make even off-grid buildings more energy efficient.

Organic agriculture is boosting crop revenues and restoring soils across some of the driest regions in Spain. As part of the LIFE-funded Crops for better soil project, some farmers boosted their profits from €50 a hectare to over €300 in just five years.

The EU is calling for an urgent global response to the existential threat posed by losses to wildlife and ecosystems. To gain from international efforts, several LIFE projects exhibited at the COP14 UN biodiversity conference in Egypt.

Climate change can feel overwhelming to us as individuals. For people on a low budget, taking steps to make everyday life more environmentally friendly is even tougher. ClimAct in Austria is taking steps to support and empower families to adapt.

Human and wolf coexistence is a complex challenge with deep historical roots. In Romania changing farming communities, expanding national infrastructure and fragmented habitats mean that the human–wolf relationship needs ever-closer attention.

The textile industry continues to look to a LIFE-funded project for inspiration on cleaning up its environmental impact, after the project officially concluded in August this year. MIDWOR-LIFE carried out industrial-scale assessments in Spain, the Czech Republic and Italy on textile finishing products which enable fabrics to repel water or oil.

The European lynx (Lynx lynx) was first reintroduced into the Former Yugoslavia in 1973 by foresters and hunters, after the Dinaric-SE Alpine population becoming extinct in the wild at the end of the 19th century. Now, due to inbreeding and dwindling numbers, the LIFE Lynx project is fighting to save the population by introducing new animals.

An estimated € 630 million is spent each year cleaning beaches and coastal areas across the EU. A workshop by the Clean Sea LIFE project at the European Parliament gave the fishing community and port authorities a platform to explain how marine litter affects them, and what solutions are possible.

The ceramics industry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, producing an estimated 1.84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide globally each year. A prototype kiln tested by the LIFE ECONOMICK project has shown significant improvements in energy performance.

A clear message emerged at the November LIFE ClimAgri workshop at the European Parliament: faced with climate change, current intensive farming practices are unsustainable.

Three projects funded by LIFE are forging new ways to recycle everyday products that contain critical raw materials (CRM). Recovering more critical raw materials is central to the EU’s move towards a more circular economy.

Environmental and wildlife crimes are cross-border, global problems that need modern solutions. LIFE projects are using new technologies and digital platforms to help national authorities identify crimes and deter potential offenders.

Thousands of newly-installed nesting boxes are welcoming back swifts and bats to cities in Slovakia. Working closely with landlords, the LIFE project APUS and NYCTALUS also ensured that construction work would not occur during nesting periods.

The sustainability of our seas will be at the top of the global political agenda when the Our Ocean conference takes place next week. The LIFE programme is making a positive impact on the marine environment, with projects tackling pressures and threats identified in the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive, such as underwater noise.

The European Commission has approved an investment package of € 243 million from the EU budget for projects supporting nature, the environment and quality of life in Europe's transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. EU funding under the LIFE programme for the Environment and Climate Action will mobilise additional investments leading to a total of € 430.7 million going towards 142 new projects. With numerous trans-national projects funded, LIFE will have an impact in every EU Member State.

"Food waste is not only unethical; it is a shameful waste of natural and economic resources," said Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, at the recent LIFE platform meeting on food waste in Budapest. He added that it has no place in the EU, where 55 million people go without a quality meal every second day.

A host of LIFE projects are at the green technologies expo, ECOMONDO, next month. They will be showcasing their solutions reduce waste, noise, greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful environmental impacts.

The EU is committed to halving the amount of food waste per capita in Europe in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Food savings are required across the chain, from reducing production losses to reducing the amount of food that is thrown away.

Energy-intensive industries are responsible for a large share of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions. This means they have a key role to play in implementing the EU's roadmap to decarbonisation.

Spanish researchers have created a plastic film that protects crops before biodegrading completely after harvest.