News

• The LIFE “Living Olive Groves” project wins the 2026 Special Award for promoting the recovery of biodiversity in olive groves in southern Spain
• The LIFE “WetLands4Climate” initiative receives the LIFE Climate Action Award for demonstrating the role of Mediterranean wetlands in mitigating climate change
• The LIFE Awards celebrate their 20th anniversary by recognizing Europe's most innovative environmental initiatives

Spain has been one of the leading countries at the 2026 LIFE Awards thanks to the recognition received by two projects funded by the European Union's LIFE Programme . The LIFE WetLands4Climate project was awarded the LIFE Climate Action Prize, while LIFE Olivares Vivos received the 2026 Special Prize, consolidating Spain's leadership in initiatives related to biodiversity and climate action.

The awards, presented during European Green Week , celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, recognizing some of the most innovative, inspiring, and environmentally impactful projects funded by the EU. This year, nine European initiatives competed in the categories of Nature and Biodiversity, Circular Economy, and Quality of Life and Climate Action.

LIFE Living Olive Groves, Special Award 2026

The European Commission has also recognized the LIFE Olivares Vivos project with the LIFE 2026 Special Award, an award that in this edition distinguishes initiatives capable of demonstrating how investment in nature and healthy ecosystems can contribute to long-term prosperity and sustainability.

Coordinated by SEO/BirdLife , the project has developed an innovative olive grove cultivation model that combines agricultural production with biodiversity recovery, demonstrating that environmental conservation can also become an economic opportunity for the sector. Key achievements include:

• The creation of 20 demonstration olive grove farms covering more than 3,600 hectares.

• The completion of more than 15,000 flora and fauna surveys to assess the recovery of biodiversity.

• The implementation of environmental restoration actions, including the planting of 32,000 woody plants and the installation of infrastructure to favor wildlife.

• The development of the first European agri-food certification system that certifies the recovery of biodiversity in olive groves and extra virgin olive oils.

• The involvement of farmers, the scientific community, administrations and citizens in promoting agricultural models that are more compatible with nature conservation.

Thanks to this initiative, more than 700 olive growers showed interest in adopting the Living Olive Groves model, contributing to the spread of agricultural practices that respect biodiversity.

LIFE WetLands4Climate, awarded for giving prominence to wetlands in the climate transition

The LIFE Climate Action Award has been given to the Spanish project LIFE WetLands4Climate, an initiative focused on the restoration, conservation and sustainable management of Mediterranean wetlands to strengthen their capacity as natural carbon sinks.

The project has demonstrated that the proper management of these ecosystems contributes to both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, while also generating scientific knowledge applicable to future environmental and climate policies. Its key contributions include:

• Development of guidelines to improve the carbon sequestration capacity of Mediterranean wetlands.

• Application of sustainable soil management models aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions .

• Transfer of methodologies and best practices to European public managers and policymakers.

• Promoting strategies to integrate wetlands into national and international climate policies .

• Development of tools for carbon footprint offsetting and private sector involvement.

The initiative, coordinated by the Global Nature Foundation , has worked in different Spanish wetlands and has helped to strengthen the role of these ecosystems as key allies against climate change.

The rest of the award-winning projects

In addition to the two Spanish projects, the LIFE Awards 2026 recognized other European initiatives:

• LIFE Danube Floodplains received the LIFE Nature and Biodiversity Award for the restoration of degraded habitats in the Danube floodplains.

• LIFE Turn to e-circular won the LIFE Award for Circular Economy and Quality of Life for promoting the reuse and repair of household electrical and electronic equipment in Slovenia.

• Egyptian Vulture New LIFE was awarded the LIFE Citizen Prize, after receiving the most support in the online popular vote , for its work to halt the decline of the Balkan Egyptian vulture population and protect its migratory routes through actions developed in 14 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

20 years driving environmental innovation in Europe

Established in 2006, the LIFE Awards annually recognize projects funded by the LIFE Programme that generate positive environmental, social, and economic impacts and serve as examples for other European territories. On their 20th anniversary , these awards once again highlight the role of innovation and cooperation in the transition to a more resilient Europe. The LIFE Programme has a budget of over €5.4 billion for the 2021-2027 period and has co-financed thousands of environmental and climate projects across the European Union.