The Joint Energy & Climate Platform of Baltic Sea Organisations has finalised its guiding principles and goals for the ongoing co-operation in a working document.
The Joint Energy and Climate Platform of Baltic Sea Region Organisations is a co-operation platform between Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC); Baltic Development Forum; Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS); Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) Energy Commission; Baltic Islands Network B7; Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions; Baltic Sea Commission (CPMR BSC) Energy Working Group; and Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC).
GOALS
Baltic Sea Region organisations goals in the field of Energy and Climate are:
- to convey a clear “Regional Energy and Climate message” to national and intergovernmental authorities.
- to support ongoing and future regional projects, aiming to achieve a sound Energy and Climate Future for the BSR.
- to raise public awareness of Energy and Climate challenges in the BSR.
OBJECTIVES
- Convey: a clear message to the national and intergovernmental authorities (EU) – containing the regional position/view on Energy and Climate.
- Agree on: Common Energy and Climate strategy for BSR organisations as well as urgent measures/actions to be taken immediately.
- Focus on: diversification of energy sources through free, open, competitive markets; encouragement of a variety of energy sources, including renewable and alternate fuels; wise use of energy through efficiency and conservation; energy saving.
- Identify: Areas of common interest/areas where the common actions can be applied; project (-s) in the BSR, where a support of relevant organisations/actors is needed; models of co-operation between energy SMEs and regional/local authorities to develop and run sustainable energy units; Measures, which can be implemented by the BSR organisations internally (in the organisations) and in the regions/cities they represent; an example of a project, where the BSR organisations can join forces, is a follow-up of the New Hansa Project: Prevention of ships’ emissions to the air.
- Support: Sound Energy and Climate-related initiatives in the BSR.
- Recommend: Projects for participation of the local/regional level in the BSR.
- Promote: Best practice examples within Energy efficiency from BSR subregions/cities etc; Inter-sectoral approach to tackle Energy and Climate change challenges (spatial planning).
- Co-operate:on information dissemination and exchange within Energy and Climate-related issues – by regularly advising each other on ongoing Energy and Climate-related activities (by e-mail, by adding information on each others web-sites, etc.); on developing Analysis of Energy and Climate situation in the region, including following areas: Energy supply/ Renewable energy sources like bio-energy, incl. bio-fuels.
- Involve into the co-operation: policymakers, including governments and parliaments; scientists/ researchers/ experts; actors from private, national and international energy sectors; representatives of NGOs, promoting sustainable energy in the Region.
- Obtain: financial support to implement joint result-oriented activities.
- Act together: join forces when interacting with other major international actors (EU, China, Russia) – in projects, at exhibitions and conferences.
- Implement: analysis/survey (-s); joint conferences, meetings and seminars.
- Contribute to: production of a “White Paper” on Energy; implementation of BDF Summit on Energy and Climate.
- Include: energy-related issues in spatial planning at the regional and local level; adaptation to Climate Change and Risk Management at the regional and local levels as a part of spatial planning.
- Raise: awareness of Climate Change in relation to Energy production and use amongst inhabitants of the Baltic Sea Region by information campaigns, etc.
Joint Energy and Climate platform of Baltic Sea Region (BSR) organisations:
Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC)
Contact: Ann Irene Sæternes, Deputy Secretary General, ann-irene.saeternes@oppland.org
Juri Tomilov, Adviser, juri.tomilov@akershus-fk.no
Baltic Development Forum (BDF)
Contact: Kinga Valeria Szabo, Project Manager, bdf@bdforum.org
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
Contact: Bjarke W. Bøtcher, Senior Adviser, bjarke.boetcher@cbss.org
Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) Energy Commission
Contact: Stefan Windh, Responsible for Policy and Strategy in the Commission, stefan@windh.com
Baltic Islands Network B7
Contact: David Hunt, B7 Facilitator, David.Hunt@brk.dk
Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions – Baltic Sea Commission
(CPMR BSC) Energy Working Group
Contact: Anne Ståhl Mousa, Executive Secretary, anne_stahlmousa@msn.com
Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) – Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)
Contact 1: Jan Widberg, Senior International Adviser, Head of Secretariat, jw@norden.org
ontact 2: Jens Nytoft Rasmussen, Senior Adviser, Nordic Council, Secretariat of the BSPC Working Group on Energy and Climate Change, jnr@norden.org