Brandenburg draws positive conclusions: 1,000 applications for climate funds!

Brandenburg draws positive conclusions: 1,000 applications for climate funds!

Companies in Brandenburg have had the opportunity to apply for EU funding through the Just Transition Fund (JTF) for two years. According to rbb24, the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs and the IHK Cottbus are drawing a positive interim conclusion from this initiative. Since the program began, over 1,000 applications have been received. The thousandth application was submitted to the state's investment bank (ILB) last week.

Of the applications received, 560 have been approved so far, while 170 have been rejected; The test for the rest is still pending. The aim of the JTF is to advance the transition to climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, especially for smaller companies. Funding priorities include measures for transformation in the wake of the lignite phase-out, such as the construction or expansion of operating facilities and new start-ups.

Successful funding applications and regional development

Mathias Bothe, Managing Director of elmak GmbH, reports on his positive experiences with the JTF, which includes, among other things, the funding of new scaffolding. He describes the program as particularly lucrative for tradespeople and encourages others to take a look at it. His company has drawn a total of 270,000 euros from the fund, which has accelerated investments and the expansion of business areas.

The JTF is active until 2027 and around 170 million euros are available for Brandenburg alone. So far, around 73 million euros in funding has been accessed. This financing plays a crucial role in Lusatia, a region that is in the process of transformation as a result of the structural change caused by the lignite ban.

EU strategy and long-term goals

The Just Transition Fund is part of the Just Transition Mechanism, designed to support the EU in the transition to clean energy. EUCALLS explains that the main objectives of the JTF are to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions. The JTF's total budget is 40 billion euros, of which 10 billion euros comes from budgetary resources. The EU countries that apply for JTF funds must provide at least 1.5 to 3 euros of their own funds for every euro.

The EU introduced the JTF as part of the Green Deal to provide targeted support to regions that are heavily dependent on fossil fuels or have high greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative is supported by the Law on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The financing covers a wide range of measures, including investments in small and medium-sized enterprises, research and innovation and environmental protection measures.

In Germany, the JTF receives a total of almost 2.3 billion euros, with regions such as Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia receiving funding of 645 million euros and 680 million euros, respectively. These steps are necessary to shape structural change as part of the long-term goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Wikipedia explains that the JTF is intended to promote the transition to a carbon-neutral future and that it now depends on its concrete implementation in the affected regions.