The versatile climate budget training series are targeted at decision-makers, sustainability and climate experts, as well as financial staff in local administrations. The series of events bringing educational, networking, and practical learning experiences, are launched by the city network Union of the Baltic Cities – Sustainable Cities Commission.
Welcome to join all the events, or only those that are most relevant to you! The whole course, which started at the Climate Budget Summit #1 on 1 October 2025 in Malmö, includes one webinar, three online training events, and the Climate Budget Summit #2 in 2026.
Fill the form, and we will keep you informed about the climate budget training events!
Participation in all events is free, but you need to register to them separately (registrations are announced throughout the year).
MODULE 1: Getting started with climate budgeting (ready)
Conference (1 October 2025) & Webinar (2 December 2025)
How can climate budgeting support cities' directions for climate neutrality, what are different approaches to it, and where to begin? In the Module 1, we opened the discussion on urban climate governance and explored various approaches to climate budgeting through practical examples from Copenhagen, Bergen, Turku, Kraków, and Espoo. The Module 1 was organised as the Climate Budget Summit #1 and it was followed further with the recorded UBC TALKS webinar.
Catch up with the materials:
- Presentations from the Climate Budget Summit #1 on 1 October 2025 in Malmö
- Recording of the UBC TALKS webinar about climate budget (1:34:01) with attached presentations
MODULE 2: Obtaining mandate and setting cooperation (ready)
FORMAT: Online training
DATE: 29 January 2026 at 9.00-11.30 CET / 10.00-12.30 EET
This module introduces how cities can begin climate budgeting in ways that reflect their local mandate and context – while meeting key prerequisites for success. Participants explore how to lay strong foundations, build internal capacity and foster cross-departmental cooperation. Practical examples from the cities Riga, Vienna and Norderstedt illustrate how different sectors can contribute climate actions and how collaboration enables tailored yet effective climate budgeting approaches.
- Recording of the Module 2 (1:57:40) on 29 January 2026 with attached presentations
MODULE 3: Climate actions portfolio and emissions data inventory
FORMAT: Online training
DATE: 31 March 2026, 9.00-12.00 CEST / 10.00-13.00 EEST
This module focuses on building a robust climate actions portfolio grounded in existing strategies and supported by credible emissions data. Participants learn how emissions baselines and action-level calculations are developed, including data sources and emissions factors, and how challenges are addressed in practice. City examples and demonstrations of the Climate Action Decision Support (CADS) Tool developed in the Climate-4-CAST project show how emissions projections and nested calculations can be visualized clearly – supporting transparent communication with decision-makers and non-experts alike.
MODULE 4: Analysing costs & benefits, building scenario and interpreting results
FORMAT: Online training
DATE: 7 May 2026, 9.00-12.00 CEST / 10.00-13.00 EEST
This module deepens climate budgeting by examining how to assess the financial costs and benefits of climate actions compared with business-as-usual scenarios. Participants explore different impact assessment methods used by cities, including cost-efficiency and cost–benefit analyses, and learn how these calculations inform scenario-building. The module also demonstrates how results can be visualized and explained in an accessible way – ensuring that complex financial insights effectively support informed decision-making.
MODULE 5: Hands-on practical CADS tool training
FORMAT: Hands-on workshop
DATE: Summer/early autumn 2026, tbc
This hands-on training will provide practical guidance how to set-up the CADS tool, developed in the Climate-4-CAST project. It will be based on a simulation case and involve a walk-through the tool, explanation of key charts and their meaning, and mini-scenarios.
MODULE 6: Climate budget for communicating with your Mayor and your Citizens
FORMAT: Conference
DATE: Autumn 2026, tbc
This module explores how cities use climate budgeting tools in real-life contexts to support effective communication and decision-making. Participants learn how to translate technical results into compelling narratives for mayors, political leaders and the public – both within formal budgeting processes and more informal settings. Drawing on city experiences, this closing module highlights the role of the CADS tool at different stages of climate budgeting maturity and reflects on future potentials and development needs for climate budgeting practices across Europe.
The Climate-4-CAST project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.
