Aim

BalticClimate was implemented from 2009 to 2011 to make the climate change phenomenon understood as a challenge, as well as a chance for the overall and sustainable development of the economic, environment and social sectors in all the Baltic Sea Region countries. The project has been enabling municipalities, local and regional stakeholders to deal with the issue of climate change in a cooperative, integrated and sustainable way. Thus, BalticClimate has been making municipalities and regions more competitive for the future to maintain and enhance the common existing identity of the Baltic Sea Region.

Main outputs, results and experiences 

While the central output of the project is documented by this BalticClimate Toolkit, further main outputs mainly summarizing results and experiences can be found on the overall project website. BalticClimate, originally a project within the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013, was awarded status as a flagship project that anticipates regional and local impacts of climate change through research within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. It has been contributing to the Strategy in aspects of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, therefore helping to make the Baltic Sea Region an environmentally sustainable place.

Figure 1. BalticClimate project's process
(click to enlarge)

Approach

The BalticClimate project’s process was divided into three main stages: the Inventory phase, the Vulnerability Assessment phase and the Capitalisation phase (Figure 1).

The challenges and chances generated by climate change were identified in 7 Target Areas (Figure 2) and deeper analyses focused on selected Implementation Cases in the sectors of transport, energy, housing and agriculture.

The development of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and measures took spatial, socio-economic, demographic, ecological and cultural factors into consideration in order to move towards overall sustainable development in each Target Area.

Based on the activities implemented locally and regionally with scientific guidance, the approach was generalised and integrated in this Toolkit.

Hence the BalticClimate Toolkit has been widely distributed to encourage application (for no cost) within all of the Baltic Sea Region countries in order to further multiply the project results on the local and regional level.

 

 

Figure 2. The BalticClimate target areas, project partners and
associated organisations
(click to enlarge) 

Partners

BalticClimate team comprised of 23 partners from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden plus further 16 Associated Organisations, including from Russia. The five project Work Packages were transnationally managed by:

Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL), Germany
Environmental Projects Ltd. (State Ltd “Vides Projekti”), Latvia
Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research (CSPR), Sweden
Regional Council of Central Finland, Finland
Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre (SEIT), Estonia

Other partners (P) and associated organisations (AO):

Estonia
P: Harju County Government, Rapla County Government, Harju Public Transport Centre, Saku Municipality, Kehtna Municipality, Kohila Municipality

Finland
P: Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Central Finland.
AO: City of Jyväskylä, City of Jämsä, Municipality of Laukaa, Municipality of Uurainen, City of Äänekoski, Municipality of Muurame


Germany
P: Regional Planning Association of Western Mecklenburg
AO: German Association of Towns and Municipalities, German Association of Cities, Office for the Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve

Latvia
P: Municipality of Ligatne, Municipality of Pārgauja
AO: Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments

Lithuania
P: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics
AO: Panevezys Region Municipality

Poland
P: West Pomeranian Business School

Russia
AO: Pskov Region Administration, Committee for the Local Self-Government Issues, Pskov State Polytechnic Institute, Administration of Bezhanitzky Rayon


Sweden
P: Region of Gävleborg, County Administrative Board of Gävleborg, Municipality of Söderhamn, Municipality of Gävle
AO: Municipality of Sandviken, Building and Environmental Office; Swedish Geotechnical Institute