LIFE GREEN ADAPT, a project co-funded by the EU LIFE Programme (LIFE20 CCA/ES/001795) aims to increase the resilience of EU waste infrastructures against climate change. This is achieved by demonstrating the potential of blue-green infrastructures (BGI) and ecosystem-based approaches to manage flash flooding and run-off caused by heavy rainfall and prevent fires and explosions caused by droughts and unusual heatwaves.
LIFE GREEN ADAPT: Delivering on EU Green Deal Priorities
The LIFE GREEN ADAPT project directly supports the EU Green Deal's ambitious goals by deploying innovative technologies that:
- Treat Landfill Leachate: The project solutions effectively remove and break down pollutants in landfill wastewater, safeguarding water quality as mandated by the Water Framework Directive and reducing the environmental risks associated with waste management under the Waste and Landfill Directives.
- Enhance Biodiversity: We implement nature-based solutions that actively boost local biodiversity, contributing to the Green Deal's objective of restoring ecosystems.
- Cut Carbon Emissions: Our approaches minimise carbon emissions associated with traditional waste management practices.
- Advance Circular Economy: LIFE GREEN ADAPT accelerates the transition to a circular economy by transforming waste materials into valuable bio-technosoils, enhancing landfill resilience against climate change impacts. This aligns with the Waste Directive's focus on resource reuse and waste prevention.
By addressing these key areas, LIFE GREEN ADAPT directly contributes to the EU's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and building a sustainable, resilient future.
Figure 1. Flowchart of LIFE GREEN ADAPT project technologies.
Specifically, our innovations support:
- Water Resilience (Water Framework Directive): The leachate treatment technologies implemented in this project prevent pollution of freshwater environments and promote the efficient reuse of water resources on-site.
- Waste Management and Circular Economy (Waste and Landfill Directives): This project transforms recovered landfill waste into bio-technosoils, reducing landfill erosion and enhancing resilience to climate-related events, while promoting resource utilization.
- Pollution Reduction (Industrial Emissions Directive): The nature-based solutions tested in this project for leachate treatment significantly reduce industrial pollution from landfill sites, aligning with the Directive's aim for zero pollution in water, land, and air, as recently updated to support the Green Deal.
LIFE GREEN ADAPT demonstrates a tangible pathway for innovative technologies to directly contribute to the successful implementation of core EU environmental policies and the overarching objectives of the EU Green Deal.
