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Climate Change
Cooperation on Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region 1
Synopsis
The challenge of climate change certainly has threatening aspects, but it can also be seen as an opportunity.
Just as we find the environment changing, because of climate change, we can anticipate social changes.
A result of instability and need – or constructive, leading to new reasons to develop new forms of cooperation.
The Baltic Region has numerous areas where climate change creates opportunities for new areas of
cooperation.
The outcome of COP 15 makes it clear that other avenues for finding the way forward in responding to climate
change are needed. Cooperation at regional and local levels can provide a significant alternative and the
complement to the work at the national and global level. The potential for cooperation is strong in areas such as
forestry, tourism, education, energy, and transportation, to name just a few.
Issues such as the role of global market, the use of food crops for energy and the need for energy stora ge and
sharing are only some examples where Baltic experience and innovativeness can lead to new opportunities. This
is also reflected in the call for action represented by EU Baltic Sea Region Strategy.
The context of opportunity in the societies of the Baltic Region is affected by the physical and ecological
conditions that climate change influences. The Baltic Sea has been experiencing the effects of increasing
climate change since the middle of the last century. The Baltic Sea may lose a great amount o f its seasonal ice
cover during the 21 st Century. The shrinking of winter periods and decrease in their severity, and the observed
thinning of ice coverage of bodies of water, are examples of the transformation that the Baltic Sea and its
tributaries are experiencing. A total increase of 3 to 5° C is expected by the end of this century, which would
result in dryer summers, a decrease in the salinity of water, thinner icecaps and an increase in the annual
precipitation rate both geographically and seasonally. Due to this increase in the annual precipitation,
hydrological cycles will be intensified. With the increasing water temperature, the Baltic Sea may also face
changes in its habitat with the influx of new species from other parts of the world.
The Baltic Sea Region, including both industrialized and semi-industrialized countries at the same time that it
contributes to global Green House Gas emissions to a considerable extent, is particularly vulnerable to the
problems posed by climate change.
This is due to its location in the northern hemisphere, where a significant temperature rise has already been
observed. Climate change is a common task for the 11 states of the Baltic Sea Region, due to the common
problems the region is, and will, face.
In responding to climate change, many of the actors of the Baltic Sea Region see the need for adapting to the
changes that are being experienced and foreseen. This follows a decade long focus on mainly mitigation
measures. Still others feel the need to integrate a mitigation perspective with adaptation awareness (we call this
the “adaptigation response” to give it an identity). Any constructive response to climate change is a move in the
right direction. A cooperative response among the members of the Baltic 21 creat es even more value for
everyone involved.
We are keen to learn more about what the membership can envision in acting, concretely, on the challenges of
climate change.
1
This paper has been developed by Richard Langlais, Anu Henriksson and Asli Tepecik Dis at Nordregio supported by the
Ecoregion project.
Climate Change
Proposed actions for Baltic 21 Strategy 2010-2015
Baltic 21 can have an important role to facilitate networking in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by (the following list
does not imply any priorities):
1. Improving the regional energy systems (RES) gradually to increase the usage of renewable energy by
employing energy saving and production of renewable energy methods (i.e. Dynamic storage of wind power, a
pilot program on electricity network for the management of end-use energy efficiency).
2. Organizing educational activities for schools at different grades for raising awareness towards climate change by
developing and utilizing innovative and interactive learning tools- (i.e. establishing database on best practices to
exchange information).
3. Developing a sustainable labeling system for bio-energy and biomass by placing emphasis on biodiversity
preservation.
4. Enabling and encouraging technology transfer processes between the BSR countries in order to mitigate CO2
emissions.
5. Developing smart logistics in the region for mitigating CO2 emissions and pollution due to marine transportation.
6. Promoting climate-friendly processes in industrial production, development of climate friendly technologies
and clean technology products.
7. Intensive consultation and collaboration among actors at different levels of government for setti ng joint
strategies.
8. Promoting climate smart- and energy-effective agriculture and forestry by supporting the adaptation of these
sectors to the impacts of climate change.
9. Setting up a “Baltic standard” for carbon footprint of forestry products.
10. Developing new measures to sustain tourism sector in the face of climate change.
11. Developing social justice implications of climate change, raising awareness among diverse communities and
developing their adaptive capacity.
12. Developing an associated programme on flood management.
13. Mobilizing Baltic 21 Network to cooperate on fostering synergies with the EU BSR strategy (ex. Flagship projects
on climate change to provide environmental sustainability of the Baltic Sea Region).