Evaluating proposals for the Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies Call
Niels Jungbluth recently had the opportunity to serve as an Independent Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Avoidance Evaluator for the European Commission’s Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies Call, managed by CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).
In this role, he assessed the GHG emission avoidance calculations of innovative projects seeking support under one of Europe’s most important funding programmes for low-carbon technologies. The work involved the review of project-specific methodologies, assumptions, and life-cycle emission calculations, as well as participation in expert consensus discussions with other evaluators.
Planning to submit an Innovation Fund proposal? Let us help you prepare a robust and credible GHG emission avoidance assessment aligned with the Innovation Fund methodology.
Bringing Life Cycle Assessment Expertise to Innovation Funding
My contribution built upon more than 20 years of experience in:
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Environmental footprinting of energy systems
- Biogas and biomethane technologies
- Critical review and verification of LCA and EPD studies
- Development of simplified modelling approaches for renewable energy systems
The evaluation process required not only technical expertise but also the ability to compare different technological concepts within a common assessment framework. This provided a valuable opportunity to observe emerging innovations across the European net-zero technology sector.
Key Insights and Learnings
The evaluation highlighted several important lessons regarding climate impact assessment and innovation funding:
The quality of assumptions matters.
Small differences in assumptions regarding feedstocks, transport distances, energy use, or methane emissions can significantly influence calculated GHG savings.
Comparability remains challenging.
Innovative projects often operate under different regional conditions and use different resources. Creating methodologies that allow fair comparison while maintaining scientific robustness remains an ongoing challenge.
Efficiency and resource use are crucial.
Beyond direct emission reductions, factors such as efficient use of biomass resources, energy integration, and system design strongly influence the overall sustainability performance of projects.
Methane management remains a key topic.
For biogas and biomethane projects, minimizing methane leakage is essential for achieving real climate benefits. Reliable monitoring and transparent assumptions therefore play a critical role.
Innovation assessment requires continuous improvement.
As technologies evolve, evaluation methodologies also need regular refinement to ensure they accurately reflect real-world environmental performance.
Looking Ahead
Participating in the Innovation Fund evaluation process offered valuable insights into the next generation of European clean technology projects. It also reinforced the importance of robust, transparent, and science-based environmental assessment methods in guiding public investment towards projects that can deliver meaningful climate benefits.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute my expertise to this process and to support the development of innovative solutions that will help accelerate Europe’s transition towards a climate-neutral economy.
Need Support with Your Innovation Fund GHG Assessment?
Preparing a proposal for the EU Innovation Fund requires a robust and transparent calculation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission avoidance. The methodology is highly detailed and can significantly influence the evaluation outcome of your project.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental footprinting, and renewable energy systems, as well as recent experience as an independent GHG evaluator for the Innovation Fund, we can support project developers in preparing high-quality GHG assessments aligned with the Innovation Fund requirements.
Our services include:
- Preparation and review of Innovation Fund GHG calculations
- Verification of assumptions, data quality, and methodology compliance
- Identification of key drivers for GHG emission avoidance
- Assessment of feedstock, transport, energy use, and auxiliary materials
- Support for biogas, biomethane, renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, and other net-zero technology projects
- Independent expert review before proposal submission
Our goal is to help applicants develop transparent, credible, and well-documented GHG calculations that accurately reflect the environmental performance of their projects and meet the expectations of the Innovation Fund evaluation process.
Planning to submit a proposal to the Innovation Fund? Contact us to discuss how we can support your GHG assessment and application preparation.
