In preparation for the 32nd. Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference on 27-29 August 2023, the BSPC Working Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity (CCB) published its Final Report on its activities throughout the past three years. The Chairman will present the report at the 32nd Annual Conference. It includes the deliberations and a compilation of the materials discussed by the Working Group.
The report also offers detailed information on the expert presentations carried out by the Working Group. The content refers in many places with links to other materials already published on the website, particularly the detailed reports about the sessions and can be accessed here and at the Working Groups website.
The report contains all political recommendations incorporated in the resolutions of the 30th and 31stConference, statements of the Baltic Sea region governments about the implementation of these recommendations and 25 far-reaching and ambitious final calls for action on climate and biodiversity that have been incorporated in the 32nd draft of the BSPC Resolution.
These recommendations call on governments to increase efforts in implementing national climate targets, strengthen regional collaboration, encourage renewable energy development, and transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy systems. They also emphasise the need to urge the world’s three largest CO2 emitters to step up their efforts to achieve ambitious climate targets, incentivise renewable energy development, and address the risks associated with increasing dependence on rare metal suppliers. The WG also urges the implementation of coastal management plans to protect and restore coastal ecosystems, support research and innovation in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies and promote cross-border cooperation on regional climate initiatives.
The Working Group highlights halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 while ensuring inclusive, socially, and environmentally sustainable economic growth and development. The Baltic Sea Action Plan and its associated action documents should be implemented quickly and strictly to achieve good ecological status by the decade’s end. Regional strategies should be developed to deal with transboundary emergencies caused by climate change and pollution.
The report also provides examples of best practices in climate change and biodiversity from the Baltic States. They accentuate regional cooperation and support for clean environments, biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, soils and cooperation on greenhouse gas inventory.
The recommendations address the most recent international developments and agreements in these areas. The urgency of further, consistent, and comprehensive measures in these policy fields is emphasised.
The report should be considered a strategic summary of the BSPC WG CCB’s work.