Coordinated European contribution to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and its international governance

This Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions grant opportunity focuses on the "Coordinated European contribution to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and its international governance" (Topic ID: HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-05). It aims to fortify Europe’s role in global greenhouse gas monitoring, supporting efforts under the United Nations frameworks, particularly through the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizations such as universities, research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as international organizations headquartered in EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries, particularly those involved with the UN. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also participate in consortiums but will not be directly involved in proposal preparation.

The funding type is structured as a lump-sum grant, which simplifies budgeting as it is a fixed amount determined upon agreement, rather than a reimbursement of expenses. A consortium of multiple applicants is required to ensure a collaborative approach, with explicit references to consortiums funded under this opportunity.

Geographically, applicants must be from EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries, with potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries based on specific provisions. The scope of the grant targets climate science and environmental monitoring, focusing particularly on innovative applications in greenhouse gas monitoring, earth observation, and related digital solutions, including AI and machine learning.

The funding budget for this initiative is set at €7 million, with one grant anticipated to be awarded, reflecting a competitive landscape with a success rate expected to be lower than 10%. The application process is a single-stage submission, set to open on January 14, 2026, and close on April 15, 2026. Successful projects should demonstrate research excellence, innovation potential, and a clear path to operational implementation and international cooperation.

Co-funding is anticipated, although not explicitly stated in the data extracted; beneficiaries are expected to demonstrate financial and operational capacity with an emphasis on leveraging existing resources and frameworks for greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting.

In summary, this grant opportunity facilitates significant investment into enhancing Europe’s capabilities in monitoring greenhouse gases. The projects funded will consolidate EU contributions to global climate actions, develop digital solutions for data processing, and foster international cooperation and data sharing to implement effective climate policies. This initiative aligns with broader goals of supporting the EU's strategic interests in climate data autonomy and solidifying its leadership in global climate governance.

This is a description of the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Call 03, a single-stage call for proposals focused on "Coordinated European contribution to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and its international governance" (HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-05). The call falls under the HORIZON program and seeks to fund Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) using HORIZON Lump Sum Grants. The planned opening date is January 14, 2026, with a deadline of April 15, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include: EU strategic climate data autonomy and decision-making sovereignty, global benchmarking of EU Greenhouse Gas observations and monitoring, enhanced coordinated EU contribution and support to global GHG monitoring, reporting and verification, effective EU climate policy implementation, as well as reporting and diplomacy on the global scene, and visibility of the EU climate action on the global scene.

The scope of the call is centered around the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W) initiative, established in 2023 to support WMO members in climate change mitigation actions under the Paris Agreement. Proposals should: consolidate EU contributions to global GHG monitoring through resilient environmental observing network capabilities and international data exchange cooperation, develop innovative (including AI/ML-based) digital solutions for inversions and automated monitoring, reporting, and verification, focus on new GHG data products on global, regional, national, and local scales using Earth Observation (EO) data (Copernicus Sentinels, contributing missions), ground-based networks (GAW, ICOS, TCCON), and socio-economic data, support international intercomparison and benchmarking efforts (e.g., uncertainty characterization), with a focus on hot spot emission monitoring, and provide clear plans for global cooperation, transition into operational services, data sharing, policy uptake, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. Actions should embrace relevant EU initiatives and include a panel of EU and national users and stakeholders, supporting the EU's international commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join the consortium or participate in another way. International cooperation is encouraged.

General conditions for participation include: Admissibility conditions as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, with proposal page limits and layout described in Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner, but will not participate in proposal preparation and submission. Projects using satellite data must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. International organizations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe associated country are exceptionally eligible for funding. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information: Application form templates are available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA). Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE RIA, IA). Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, and Operating Grants MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, and General Annexes), EIC Work Programme 2026, ERC Work Programme 2026, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview lists several HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE topics, including HORIZON-COFUND, HORIZON-RIA, and HORIZON-CSA actions, with varying budgets for 2026 and 2027, opening and deadline dates, and indicative numbers of grants.

Partner search announcements are available, and LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests. The submission system will open on the date stated on the topic header. General FAQs and support resources are provided, including the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to enhance the EU's contribution to global greenhouse gas monitoring efforts by funding research and innovation projects that develop advanced monitoring capabilities, digital solutions, and data products. It aims to support the EU's climate policy implementation and international commitments under the Paris Agreement, while fostering international cooperation and data exchange. The call encourages the use of Earth Observation data, ground-based networks, and AI/ML-based solutions to improve GHG monitoring and verification at various scales. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate in funded projects, and international organizations are eligible for funding. The call provides a comprehensive framework for applicants, including eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, budget information, and support resources.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity include international organizations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe associated country, particularly those involved with the United Nations (UN). Other eligible applicants are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner.

Funding Type: The funding type for this opportunity is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions, HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (IA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join the consortium selected for funding as a member, or participate in the project in another way.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries, as specified in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Horizon Europe associated country are exceptionally eligible.

Target Sector: The target sector for this program is environment and climate, specifically focusing on greenhouse gas monitoring, climate change mitigation, earth observation, and related digital solutions (including AI/ML-based). It also touches on policy implementation, international cooperation, and data sharing across sectors.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions EU Member States, Horizon Europe associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries. It also refers to the European Union (EU) as a region.

Project Stage: The project stage appears to be focused on development, validation, and demonstration, with an emphasis on transitioning research into operational services and supporting policy uptake.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific action type:
HORIZON-COFUND: €16,000,000 (Year 2027) and €22,000,000 (Year 2026), with contributions around €38,000,000.
HORIZON-RIA: €10,800,000, €7,000,000 and €9,800,000 with contributions ranging from €4,000,000 to €7,000,000.
HORIZON-CSA: €9,000,000, €4,500,000, €6,000,000, €5,400,000 and €7,000,000 with contributions around €3,000,000 to €6,000,000.
HORIZON-IA: €15,000,000 with contributions around €7,500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants is provided for each topic, allowing for an estimation of the competition level.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required, particularly for HORIZON-COFUND actions, but this needs to be verified in the specific topic description and relevant annexes.

Summary: This Horizon Europe funding opportunity aims to enhance the EU's contribution to the World Meteorological Organization's Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W) initiative. It seeks to support projects that consolidate EU efforts in global GHG monitoring, develop innovative digital solutions for GHG data processing, focus on new GHG data products, support international benchmarking, and provide clear plans for global cooperation and policy uptake. The opportunity is open to consortia including entities from EU Member States, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries, as well as international organizations. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process involves a single-stage submission. The projects should contribute to EU strategic climate data autonomy, global benchmarking of GHG observations, and effective climate policy implementation. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) may join the consortium selected for funding as a member, or participate in the project in another way.