Supporting climate change decisions in the Baltic area

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Users of the tool kit can discover that climate change brings not only threats and challenges, but also presents chances for development.Sebastian Ebert, Academy for Spatial Research and PlanningThe partners identified main climate change challenges and compiled regional information, impact and vulnerability assessment guidance, integrated planning approaches and processes for identifying business options in the BalticClimate tool kit, available online in 12 languages. The kit supports users in taking account of climate change in their daily work and long-term planning. Distribution of an offline version throughout the Baltic area ensures its wide use.Complementary material includes a SWOT analysis to support business decision making, guidelines to help municipalities and regions integrate climate change issues into spatial planning and cross-sectoral development and reports on soil movement and experiences and results from case studies. Of two reports on impact and vulnerability assessments, one presents experiences from a pilot assessment and the other provides material for assessments. The final report focuses on climate change perceptions in the region.Working groupsActivities in Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Russia considered how climate change is tackled in transport, housing, energy and agriculture. Over 80 workshops, seminars, fairs and meetings took place and more than 4 000 politicians, planners, local authority officials, business people and members of the public were involved in exercises on development perspectives and integration of climate change information into future activities.Eight broadcast productions, a tool kit trailer and a half-hour film helped raised awareness of climate change via TV, websites and events. The BalticClimate conference, local and regional events, press conferences, press releases and presentations led to newspaper articles and radio and TV reports. A project website set up alongside the tool kit site provides information in nine languages.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “BalticClimate” is EUR 4 220 720, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 3 336 510 from the Baltic Sea Region Programme for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.