EU-wide Advantages & Opportunities for “Fostering equity and justice in climate policies – Societal Readiness Pilot” (HORIZON-CL5-2025-06-D1-06)

1. Strategic Fit with Flagship EU Agendas

• European Green Deal & Just Transition Mechanism

• Fit-for-55 package & Social Climate Fund

• EU Adaptation Strategy 2021 (“Climate-Resilient Europe”)

• EU Gender Equality Strategy & Child Guarantee – intersectional justice

• Global Gateway & NDICI – bridging EU–Global South cooperation

Deliverables that operationalise equity directly feed upcoming EU policy milestones (2040 climate target, CAP post-2027, Social Climate Fund regulation), positioning the consortium as a reference adviser to the European Commission.

2. Leveraging the EU Single Market

• 450+ million citizens offer a living lab to test justice indicators, vulnerability maps and inclusive policy instruments across diverse socio-economic contexts (Nordic welfare states, Eastern transition regions, Mediterranean climate hotspots, outermost regions).

• GDPR, Open-Data Directive and INSPIRE ensure legal clarity to exchange cross-border socio-economic & climate datasets.

• Proven models can be quickly scaled via Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and EEA networks.

3. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Mandatory inclusion of three low/middle-income countries lets EU teams formalise Global North–South partnerships, accessing new datasets and field sites.

• Lump-sum grant cuts administrative burden, facilitating participation of CSOs, regional authorities and SMEs from 40+ Horizon-eligible countries.

• Ready-made clustering with Horizon projects (JUSTTRANS4ALL, ENTRANCES, LOCALISED) and Mission Adaptation regions maximises knowledge spill-overs.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation & Policy Influence

• EU Climate Law provides a shared governance architecture—justice indicators can inform National Energy & Climate Plan (NECP) updates due mid-2026.

• Alignment with EU Taxonomy & Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) lets outputs shape sustainable finance markets (€4 trn AUM).

• Results may be codified into future Commission staff working documents or guidance notes, giving partners a seat at the regulatory table.

5. Access to Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Integration with EIT Climate-KIC Deep Demonstrations, EERA JP on Social Sciences & Humanities, and European University Alliances.

• EuroHPC supercomputers & forthcoming Destination Earth platform enable high-resolution socio-climate modelling with justice layers.

• European Social Innovation Competition and EIC Transition calls provide pathways for scaling solutions beyond the project lifetime.

6. Funding Synergies & Blended Finance

• LIFE Programme (2027 call line “Socially Just Transition”) for downstream pilots.

• ESF+, ERDF & Just Transition Fund for regional roll-out—compatible with equity-oriented monitoring indicators.

• InvestEU Social Investment & Skills window to capitalise spin-offs (e.g., equity-by-design advisory).

• Erasmus+ and CERV programmes for capacity-building and citizen engagement.

7. Scale, Replicability & Impact Amplification

• Standardisation through CEN/CENELEC can turn project-developed justice metrics into voluntary EU standards—accelerating global diffusion.

• EuropeAid instruments enable export to ACP partners, boosting EU geopolitical soft power.

• IP protection simplified via Unitary Patent and EUIPO fast-track for EU-funded projects.

8. Call-Specific Opportunities to Maximise EU Value

1. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs): Fuse Copernicus climate data with EU-SILC microdata to produce region-specific welfare trajectories.

2. Agriculture, Forestry & Land Use: Align with CAP reform consultations; test equity criteria in Soil Mission living labs.

3. Disaster Risk & Adaptation Justice: Embed tools in Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network.

4. Innovative Instruments: Pilot “Equity-adjusted carbon dividends” across multiple Member States to inform ETS II compensation rules.

5. Societal Readiness: Apply European Citizen Panels methodology to co-create indicators, giving immediate democratic legitimacy.

9. Long-Term Competitive Edge for Participants

• First-mover advantage in an emerging policy niche—equity metrics are likely to become mandatory in future EU funding and taxonomy compliance.

• Enhanced Horizon track record boosts chances in ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie and future Partnership calls.

• Visibility in IPCC AR7 author teams and UNEP Gap Reports solidifies scientific leadership.

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Delivering a project under this call therefore taps a uniquely European set of assets—integrated market, harmonised regulations, world-class innovation networks and multi-layered funding streams—offering impact and scaling possibilities unreachable at a purely national level.