INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE BALTIC CITIES

The SUSTAINMENT aimed to meet the needs and challenges of local authorities towards a more integrated sustainability process. The intention was to bring the current sustainable development processes of the municipalities to the next level – to create models for Sustainability Management Centers (SMC). In order to do so, these SMCs will promote cross-sectoral policy integration and increased efficiency within city administrations in the varying circumstances found within the Baltic Sea Region. As an outcome, the project now provides models for integrated sustainability management for all the European cities.

The project included cities in the Baltic Sea Region, but also regional actors interested in tackling this issue on a wider scale. In either case, the project enabled the ability of local authorities to develop their working methods, skills and personnel in order to significantly contribute to all the dimensions of sustainable development within the city or region. One key aspect of SUSTAINMENT has been to learn and support each other. External experts were used in the trainings to bring in new information and knowhow.

The cross-sectoral cooperation in the local administrations is a key element towards urban sustainability, as is identified in the Thematic Strategy on Urban Environment of the European Union, in the 6th Environment Action Programme of the EU and in the 2005 Review of EU Sustainable Development Strategy. Good Governance and Sustainable Urban Management are included in the main themes of the Union of the Baltic Cities Agenda 21 Action Programme 2004-2009 – Roadmap for Sustainable Baltic Cities.

The SUSTAINMENT project focused on four main themes in order to build capacities for the creation of Sustainable Management Centers:

1. Management of the SMC as a strategic resource unit
2. Governance for sustainability and
3. A tool for promoting Sustainable Development: Project Portfolio Approach, and
4. Promoting administration through good and strong communication.

These four themes were thoroughly processed in the main activities of the project; through both workshops and distance-learning. The project resulted in a SMC development plan for of the cities as well as a toolkit called URBANworks for dissemination and wider use.

The project is part-financed by European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG IIIB Neighborhood Programme, Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partner cities.
Click here for more information about the partner cities.

The project was run between January 2006 to December 2007. Click herefor more information about Activities.