The Board of Trustees of the Biodiversity Foundation approves new calls and financial aid for the conservation of biodiversity.
The Secretary of State for the Environment, María García Rodriguez, today chaired the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Biodiversity Foundation, in which its Action Plan for 2017 was updated, in which 18.1 million euros will be distributed through grants and subsidies and 8.4 million will be allocated to LIFE projects and its own actions.
The Board of Trustees has approved the increase in the endowment of the call for grants for the implementation of activities in the field of
terrestrial biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity from one to two million euros. An increase that will strengthen the associative fabric and the work of the
associations and beneficiary entities in this area, as well as a better conservation of biodiversity.
Likewise, this year the Biodiversity Foundation will publish a call for 500,000 euros for the promotion of environmental information in the media, with the aim of increasing society’s awareness of the conservation of biodiversity, the fight against climate change and the importance of a green and sustainable economy. The call seeks to increase the presence of environmental information in the media as a way of educating and raising awareness among citizens.
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AWARDS
The Board of Trustees has also approved the launch of a new edition of the Spanish section of the European Environment Awards for the company of the
European Commission. Thus, the Biodiversity Foundation will be the coordinating entity of the national section of these awards for the third time. These awards have been organised since 1987 by the European Commission that recognise and reward those companies that successfully combine the economic viability of their businesses with the protection of the environment, introducing eco-innovations in management, processes, products or services that they provide.
offer or combine business and biodiversity.
In addition, the Biodiversity Foundation is going to publish a call that will allocate 200,000 euros to collaboration and representation in European forums and
National. The aim of this aid is to support the collaborative and representative activities carried out by certain non-profit organisations.
government, whose primary objective is the defense and protection of the environment.
These new calls complement the existing calls for co-financing of LIFE Nature projects, the support for projects adapting to change
the Empleaverde Programme co-financed by the European Social Fund, and the promotion of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture of the Pleamar Programme within the framework of the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund.
CONTINUITY TO OTHER ACTIONS
The Biodiversity Foundation coordinates and executes various projects financed with European funds, such as the integrated project LIFE IP INTEMARES. This project, which began in 2017, addresses monitoring and surveillance, conservation, governance and participation, as well as environmental awareness and education of the Natura 2000 Network at sea, and has a budget of 49.8 million euros, from different funds.
On 1 May, the European project on land stewardship LIFE Development of a European Private Land Conservation Network was also launched.
whose objective is the creation and consolidation of a European network that analyzes the success of conservation actions developed on private land.
In addition, the LIFE SHARA will continue to be developed, with the aim of strengthening the governance of adaptation to climate change and increasing resilience in Spain and Portugal. Also the LIFE+ Desmania, to contribute to the conservation of the Iberian desman, a mammal whose populations have suffered a significant decline and which is considered in danger of extinction in some autonomous communities.
In parallel, the Biodiversity Foundation develops other projects of its own such as the Coastal Conservation Actions, which includes the Beaches,
Ríos, Voluntariado y Custodia del Territorio, activities to promote sustainable aquaculture, through the Spanish Aquaculture Observatory project and support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
