The Government will give four million euros to the councils…

The Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability has published a grant call for 4,000,000 euros, to be used by municipal and local entities for climate change adaptation, the preservation of natural heritage, and Asteklima 2026 activities. The order signed by Minister Mikel Jauregi Letemendia on October 21 establishes the bases and the call, and was published in issue number 207 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on October 29, 2026, with official reference 2026/4560. Interested entities may submit applications within a period of one month, counting from the day following the publication.

From the 2019 climate emergency to the strategic plan

The bases of the call were not created from scratch. In July 2019, the Basque Government signed the institutional declaration of climate emergency, with the goal of achieving neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and on September 26 of the same year, the Basque Parliament joined the declaration unanimously. Starting from there, several regulations and strategies have been approved: the V Environmental Framework Program 2030, the Basque Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the 2050 climate change strategy, and the Law 1/2024 on energy transition and climate change, among others. In the field of natural heritage, Law 9/2021 is the main reference.

The Department has stated that the objective is to align municipal policies with these environmental priorities, as the local administration is the “entity closest to the citizens” when it comes to changing habits in the face of climate change. The call is included in the Strategic Plan for Grants for the 2025-2028 period, and Ihobe, S.A. will be the collaborating entity. The procedure will be managed by the Directorate of Natural Heritage and Climate Change Adaptation, and the resolution will be the competence of the Vice-Minister for the Environment.

Three lines and a distribution of 4,000,000 euros

The call distinguishes three funding lines, against commitment credits for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 budgets:

Climate change line: maximum 2,500,000 euros.
Natural heritage line: maximum 1,400,000 euros.
Asteklima 2026 line: maximum 100,000 euros.

In total, therefore, 4,000,000 euros. This amount is not closed: funds may be moved back and forth between the first two lines if there is no demand or if conditions are not met, but the fixed maximum amount may never be exceeded. Furthermore, the bases provide that the amount for each line may be increased by up to 50% if there is unused credit from other departmental programs and the resolution is published.

Who can apply and what is financed

The entities that can be beneficiaries are those from the local area, and the list is extensive:

City councils, councils, and local territorial entities below the municipal level.
Municipal associations and cuadrillas of the historical territory of Álava.
Regions and local autonomous entities.
Local public law entities: local commercial societies, local public business entities, consortia, and local public foundations.

Under the climate change line, adaptation measures to promote CO2 absorption and territorial resilience will be financed: prevention of risks caused by heatwaves, droughts, floods, and sea-level rise, nature-based solutions, and the creation or improvement of natural carbon sinks. Under the natural heritage line, the restoration of natural habitats, the protection of endangered species, and the recovery of degraded areas are included. Under the Asteklima 2026 line, activities aimed at activating citizens in the face of climate change: talks, workshops, theater, cinema, visits, or exhibitions, among others.

Limits per project

Maximum amounts depend on the type of activity and the size of the entity:

Climate change: 225,000 euros for interventions per project, and a maximum of 20,000 euros for designing the climate shelter network or for prioritizing adaptation measures in municipalities and regions with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.
Natural heritage: 100,000 euros per project.
Asteklima 2026: a maximum of 7,000 euros for municipal-area entities and 10,000 euros for those outside the municipal area.
Percentage of aid: 80% of expenses for entities with more than 7,000 inhabitants and 95% for those with fewer inhabitants, with certain percentages applied to specific lines.

Additionally, under the Asteklima line, maximum unit amounts per activity have been specified: 450 euros per talk and conference, 2,000 euros per workshop and exhibition, 550 euros for storytelling, 800 euros for cinema, 1,000 euros for theater and video contests, and 500 euros for visits and tours.

One-month deadline and six-month resolution period

Applications must be submitted by electronic means through the electronic office of the General Administration of the Basque Autonomous Community, in the areas enabled for each line. Each entity may make a single request per line and present a single project. The projects to be submitted must be carried out between January 1, 2026, and October 31, 2028; Asteklima 2026 activities, however, must be carried out in the second half of 2026, as it coincides with the Basque Climate and Energy Week 2026.

The resolution must be issued and notified within a period of six months, counting from the day following the publication, and the competence to resolve shall lie with the Vice-Minister for the Environment, following a proposal from the Director of Natural Heritage and Climate Change Adaptation. The lines for climate change and natural heritage will be resolved by competition, requiring a minimum score of 50 out of 100 points; in the case of the Asteklima line, the available amount will be distributed proportionally according to the requests.

Boost for Municipalities, Cornerstone of Environmental Policies

The call strengthens the role of municipalities, making climate change adaptation and the care of natural heritage the axis of municipal planning. Since the amount of 4,000,000 euros has a three-year term, small municipalities and those with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants will have the opportunity for their own projects, working together with other regional organizations. The success of the call will depend, to a large extent, on the technical quality of the projects and their link to municipal planning.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, No. 207, October 29, 2026, Section I (Other provisions), pp. 1-44 (official reference: 2026/4560).