BACKGROUND and addressed PROBLEM: Climate change, with its manifold aspects, is one of the biggest global challenges we face currently and in the future. Guidelines for the general direction of action developed on the international or national level are a first step but do not equal implementation. Concrete action in dealing with climate change issues is required on the local and regional level, for both mitigation and adaptation. However, the local and regional level lack support in many respects on how to deal with climate change regarding a long term sustainable development. Moreover, a step beyond has to be taken: chances for the long term development of the economies, environment and social sector responding pro-actively to the climate change phenomenon ought to be detected and capitalised. TARGET GROUPS: The project addresses decision makers (politicians, stakeholder incl. business sector) and those who prepare decisions (authorities, development agencies, etc.) in small and medium sized cities and rural areas in all BSR countries. OBJECTIVE: Chances of the climate change phenomenon will be identified for the target areas. Through regionalized climate change information, impact and vulnerability assessments, and tested integrative planning approaches in target areas an easy to use toolkit (with use of supporting decisions as "pathfinder") will be elaborated, thus, · enabling BSR municipalities, regions and other actors to deal with the climate change issue in a cooperative, integrative and sustainable way. · enhancing the competitiveness of BSR municipalities and regions · fostering the BSR identity. · The methodological approach of the project includes integrative urban-rural cooperation, transnational problem solving, applying and testing of existing and newly created “tools”, and scientific assistance under the mutual feedback principle. Moreover through dissemination of the main outputs e.g. toolkit ("pathfinder") and supporting material to the loc./reg. level in all BSR countries (natl. languages). WORK PACKAGES: WP 1: Project Management and Administration; WP 2: Communication and Information; WP 3: Climate Change Material and Analysis; WP 4: Integrated Solutions and Capitalisation of Climate Change; WP 5: Climate Change BSR local and regional applying ICT Toolkit TARGET AREAS (implem. of activities): Territories of involved PPs (partly assoc. organisations): regions, small and medium sized cities, rural areas in DE, EE, FI, LT, LV, RU and SE. PARTNERS: 25 partners from 8 countries (DE, EE, FI, LT, LV, PL, RU, SE) directly involved representing loc./reg. authorities, development agencies in respective countries, scientific institutions of excellent reputation. Partnership formation (practical and scientific partners, assoc. organisations, further experts) will ensure proper implementation in the target areas and the mutual feedback between practitioners and scientists. Achievements: The BalticClimate TOOLKIT in 12 languages is now available online: www.toolkit.balticclimate.org. This central project output supports end-users, especially policy makers, spatial planers, and business people to consider climate change phenomenon in every-day work and long term planning. Direct BSR-wide distribution of an offline version to the local and regional level ensured that the BalticClimate Toolkit continues to be widely applied in practice.Further Main OutputsThe content from the various sections and sites of the BalticClimate Toolkit has been compiled and complemented by additional material to provide IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE thematic MAIN OUTPUT DOCUMENTS (www.balticclimate.org/en/project/main-outputs), e.g.-Guideline and Report: Final Supporting Material for Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability Assessment-Report: Experiences in Implementation Cases from the BalticClimate Target Areas-Report: Climate SWOT for Decision-Making in the Business SectorFurther documents inform on climate change perceptions in the BSR, experiences in impact and vulnerability assessment application, and guidance to consider climate change in sustainable planning and development.Implementation CasesIn seven BalticClimate Target Areas working groups of project partners and further actors jointly implemented project activities. Climate change issue was tackled in Implementation Cases of the sectors transport, housing, energy and agriculture, e.g.-Public transportation and cycling routes’ plans considering mitigation and adaptation issues were elaborated (DE, EE, FI)-Wind power potential (FI, SE) and energy efficient private households (LV, FI)-New adaptation strategies were considered in updated spatial plans (DE, SE) and one national adaptation strategy (LT)-First regional renewal energy programme (RU)-Over 30 good BSR examples considering climate change in planning and new business ideas basing on project’s Climate Change SWOT applicationWide participationIn over 80 local and regional workshops, seminars, fairs and summits more than 4.000 politicians, planners, authorities’ employees, business people plus the wider public were actively involved in project processes. They jointly worked on provided exercises, development perspectives and solutions for integrating climate change information in future activities of each Target Area.Awareness raisingEight own broadcast productions, the BalticClimate Toolkit trailer, and the half-hour BalticClimate Film (BSR wide also distributed on DVD) raised awareness on climate change issues via TV stations, various websites and on events.International BalticClimate Conference, local and regional public events, press conferences and releases, and presentations at external events lead to many newspaper articles, radio and TV reports on BalticClimate.In addition to the Toolkit website the project website informs in nine languages: www.balticclimate.org