Policy and advocacy

Regional cooperation – for the sustainable Baltic Sea Region

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the guiding strategy for the regional activities and actions, mainstreaming climate change and cooperation. UBC actively liaises with the EUSBSR Policy Areas coordinators as well as the communication partners providing the basis for cooperation and partnership. UBC has a long tradition of working closely with the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation (BSSSC), VASAB as well as the Nordic Council of Ministers. UBC also has an official observer status to the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM).

With some actors UBC actively collaborates in projects and activities, with others the partnerships are built on a strategic policy level. At the core is regular exchange and communication, to shape our region together.

• Council of the Baltic Sea States – CBSS

  CBSS is an intergovernmental political forum for regional cooperation. Consisting of 10 Member States and the European Union, it supports a regional perspective on global challenges. The CBSS functions as a coordinator of a multitude of regional actors in the areas of its three long-term priorities: Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, Safe & Secure Region. CBSS and UBC SCC keep close cooperation in sustainability topics through project implementation, event planning and mutual support.

• Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea – VASAB

  VASAB is intergovernmental multilateral co-operation of the Baltic Sea Region in spatial planning and development, guided by the Conference of Ministers responsible for spatial planning and development, steered by the Committee on Spatial Planning and Development of the Baltic Sea Region composed of representatives of respective ministries and regional authorities. It prepares policy options for the territorial development of the Baltic Sea Region and provides a forum for exchange of know-how on spatial planning and development between the Baltic Sea countries. UBC SCC has well-established cooperation with VASAB – working together on sustainability matters on both local (UBC) and transnational level (VASAB) across wide array of activities, such as environment, transport, education, culture, tourism, business development, youth issues, gender equality as well as urban planning.

• Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – HELCOM

  HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization and a regional sea convention in the Baltic Sea area, consisting of ten Contracting Parties, namely Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden. A platform for environmental policy making at the regional level, HELCOM was established in 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental cooperation. UBC SCC is in a close cooperation with HELCOM, having an observatory status with the body, contributing to the HELCOM work as well as cooperating in joint projects.

European cooperation – bridging the Baltic Sea Region with the rest of Europe

The EU is addressing climate change through ambitious policies in close cooperation with international partners by implementing the ambitious European Green Deal climate action package, and by aiming to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent and a climate-resilient society by 2050. UBC is a respected partner also on European level, both in projects as well as on policy level. UBC actively cooperates with the European Commission and European city networks like Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), Eurocities, Energy Cities and Polis.

UBC is an active support partner for the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Europe as well as for the Green City Accord and among other initiatives supports the implementation of the overarching EU policies, like the European Green Deal, New European Bauhaus and EU missions, in particular the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Area and the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters".

• Energy Cities

  Energy Cities is a European City network of over 1000 local governments in 30 countries defending a locally driven energy transition. UBC SCC has been a collective member since 2008 and has cooperated with Energy Cities in several projects.

• Covenant of Mayors

  The EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy brings together thousands of local governments voluntarily committed to implementing EU climate and energy objectives. It was launched in 2008 in Europe with the ambition to gather local governments voluntarily committed to achieving and exceeding the EU climate and energy targets. UBC SCC has been a Covenant of Mayors supporter since 2010 and promoted the initiative actively to its member cities.

• Green City Accord

  Green City Accord is a movement of European mayors committed to making cities cleaner and healthier. It aims to improve the quality of life for all Europeans and accelerate the implementation of relevant EU environmental laws, addressing five areas of environmental management: air, water, nature and biodiversity, circular economy and waste, and noise. UBC has a supporter status in the Green City Accord and encourages its member cities to join the initiative.

• European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine

  The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine was launched by the European Committee of the Regions and its partners, including EU and Ukrainian associations of local and regional authorities, to coordinate their joint efforts directed towards helping the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. Union of the Baltic Cities has become an associate partner of the Alliance in May 2024.

Global cooperation – local activities contributing to the global effort

UBC also follows global policy towards sustainable development: the global UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are guiding UBC activities. All UBC commissions take the SDGs into account in their work and a growing number of UBC member cities have engaged in bringing the SDGs into their city strategies and plans. Many UBC cities are also forerunners internationally by having joined the global movement of working with the 2030 Agenda and reviewing the progress of the SDGs on a local level through a Voluntary Local Review process. UBC encourages its member cities to join the movement and report on the progress of the UN 2030 Agenda.

In 2017, UBC started a strategic cooperation with the world’s leading organization on voluntary climate reporting, CDP, and many UBC member cities have shown climate leadership by disclosing their climate related data through CDP and thus contributing to a more sustainable future of the region.

• CDP running the global disclosure system

  CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. The strategic cooperation of the UBC – CDP is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016 and renewed in 2018. Over 1100 cities, states and regions, and over 24800 companies globally use the system to report, share and take action on climate change every year. UBC and CDP aim to together increase the number of reporting cities in the Baltic Sea Region. In 2016, 6 UBC cities reported to CDP. The number increased to 20 UBC member cities in 2017, and to 28 UBC member cities in 2018. New UBC cities join the disclosure process every year.