Land, ocean and water for climate action (Horizon Europe)

R&I under Destination “Land, ocean and water for climate action” will deliver mainly under Key Strategic Orientation (KSO) 1 of Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027: Green transition. It will also deliver under KSO 2: Digital Transition and KSO 3: A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe.

This Destination is expected to support the implementation of the European Ocean Pact, foster mitigation of and adaptation to climate change on land, in the ocean and water, and
therefore helps Cluster 6 to support the ambition of Europe becoming the first climate-neutral and climate-resilient continent by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal and the new Commission priority on “Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature”. Actions under this Destination will support the implementation of the European Climate Law, the amended Regulation on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) and the amended Effort Sharing Regulation, which establishes binding annual greenhouse gas
emission targets for Member States in sectors which include agriculture.

In continuation with the orientations of previous Cluster 6 Work Programmes, and in line with the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027, R&I actions under this Destination for Work Programme 2025 will be aligned with the Communications on sustainable carbon cycles and with the EU 2040 climate target. They will also support the implementation of the proposed Regulation establishing a Union certification framework for carbon removals and will deliver on climate adaptation in line with the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. R&I activities in the areas of agriculture and forestry under this Destination will contribute to the implementation of the EU methane strategy, the EU forest strategy for 2030 as well as the proposal for an EU Forest Monitoring Law and will be in line with the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive when they affect the marine environment.

Calls for 2025, one stage:

Submission: 16.09.2025; Budget: 76,5 Mio. €

• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01: The ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus and marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR)
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-02: The ocean-climate-biodiversity-people nexus: uncovering safe operating space for safeguarding the integrity and health of the global ocean
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-03: Understanding and managing medium and longer-term challenges and opportunities for agriculture stemming from shifting climatic zones and changing agroecological environments
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-04: Monitoring, reporting, verification and mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and related air pollutants from agriculture
• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-05: Additional activities for the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All)

Calls for 2025/2026, two-stage:

Submission: 04 Sep 2025 (First Stage), 18 Feb 2026 (Second Stage) Budget: 18 Mio. €

• HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-twostage: Strengthening the resilience of water systems and water sector to climate and global socio-economic change impacts

Links:

Work Programm: Work Programme 2025: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.

All Horizon Europe work programmes: here