Sustainable Development

There are no borders in nature and the countries in the Baltic Sea Region face the same specific risks and challenges - most of them can only be solved if we work together.

We believe that all levels of society must share responsibility and participate in finding sustainable solutions. 

That is why we are continuously building purpose-oriented partnerships, commissioning studies, conducting trainings, facilitating projects and providing policy input to strengthen sustainability practices and climate adaptation processes. Currently, our main goal is to translate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into local objectives for the Baltic Sea Region.

Facts & Figures

  • Around 50 national coordinators, key experts and EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region officials have taken part in the three modules of the the Baltic Leadership Programme on 2030 Agenda. The capacity building programme is specifically designed for the leaders of national and macro-regional implementation of SDGs in the Baltic Sea Region. 
  • The “Baltic 2030 Capacity-Building Programme – Localising the SDGs”, provided a platform for sub-national actors to understand their role in the promotion of the SDGs and gathered more than 60 experts of strategic planning and sustainable development from 12 different countries.
  • More than 30 reports on sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region have been published.
  • The Expert Group on Sustainable Development (EGSD), which was active for over 20 years and ceased operations in 2024, played a central role in guiding the CBSS’s sustainability agenda. Comprising officials from the relevant ministries of CBSS Member States, the EGSD facilitated knowledge-sharing, outreach, and project work on sustainability policies in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Its work focused on promoting prosperous economies, healthy societies, and dynamic ecosystems in an integrated and balanced manner. In 2017, the CBSS launched the “Baltic 2030 Action Plan: Realising the Vision” to encourage transformative actions by all stakeholders in the BSR, aiming to achieve sustainable development by 2030. The EGSD also contributed to monitoring progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identifying gaps and needs, and enhancing leadership among key actors driving systemic change. This work culminated in the publication of “A Handbook – Localising Sustainable Development Goals in the Baltic Sea Region“. The EGSD’s contributions have shaped the CBSS’s long-term objectives for sustainable development in the region. The objectives of the EGSD included:
    • Supporting the implementation, engaging stakeholders, communicating the Action Plan and organising events in line the EGSD Chair’s priorities;
    • Working in partnership with regional, subregional and local stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region to advance action on the SDGs and the Baltic 2030 Action Plan;
    • Only platform with all 10 CBSS Member States overseeing and monitoring the 2030 Agenda implementation in the BSR – finding gaps and needs for collaboration;
    • Facilitating localisation of the SDGs/Climate; initiates projects.

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