Case Study
Funding
Horizon 2020 funding for Urban Sustainable Transport
> Client: City of Jerusalem.
> Implementation period: 2016 - 2019
> Geographic coverage: Israel
> Theme: Climate finance, Funding and grants.
Context
Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel, and its traffic volume of 1,070,000 trips per day causes major congestion and other problems for the city as a whole, and the city centre in particular. In 2012, the city published its Master Plan to Reduce GHG Emissions and Air Pollutants with a commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 20% by 2020. The transport sector is a key action area identified in the plan.
In all these efforts, Jerusalem strives to meet the needs of its multi-cultural population and of its many visitors. Its underlying principles give non-motorized traffic (pedestrians and cyclists) the highest priority followed by public transportation and lastly private vehicles.
What is Horizon 2020?
Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness. Horizon 2020 provides grants to research, technological development and innovation projects through open and competitive calls for proposals. Legal entities from any country are eligible to submit project proposals to these calls.
With nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever.
EcoTraders was mandated by the City of Jerusalem to find funding to ensure the viability of its mobility project, and in particular the design and the progressive implementation of a Low-Emission Zone in the city center – a traffic pollution scheme which aims at reducing the exposure of residents to pollutants that are hazardous to their health.
Objective
Project
EcoTraders worked closely with the Jerusalem municipality to:
• Assist the city in the specification and technical description of the project.
• Source relevant calls for proposal published by Horizon 2020 the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
• Accompany the city in joining a consortium of several European cities – London (England), Padova (Italia), Victoria Gasteiz (Spain), Bielefeld (Germany) and Helmond (Netherlands) – that committed to work together on sustainable transport innovation
• Elaborate the written proposal submitted to Horizon 2020.
• Serve as the city’s representative in the direct communication with the consortium’s other stakeholders.
Jerusalem was awarded funding for its project of a Low Emission Zone from Horizon 2020, allowing “the city to both implement and enforce the Low Emission Zone and further expand it towards a Zero Emission Zone in a manner that results in the highest impact whilst balancing wider mobility considerations for the city’s residents”
(Gil Reichman, Head of The Environmental Quality Department).