Support of Shaping the Post Kyoto Climate Regime 5-6 March 2009 Szentendre, Hungary

1. Support of Shaping the Post Kyoto Climate Regime5-6 March 2009 Szentendre, Hungary Overview of Regions for Sustainable Change Project Venelina Varbova Project Coordinator

2. Why regional development programs are important for moving towards low carbon economy? • Economic development typically managed at the regional level • Regional authorities well positioned to put strategic objectives like climate change into action • Regional development programmes are strategic funding documents that aim to drive the economic growth • Regional development programmes are an opportunity for integration of sustainability into development European regions have great potential to contribute to the overall sustainability of growth through lower emissions and implementation of innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation measures

3. Presentation overview • General information on RSC project and partnership • Project objectives and components • Methodology • First steps in implementation

4. Regions for Sustainable ChangeWhat to know about the project? • Partnership: 12 partners from 8 countries • Duration: Oct 2008 – Sep 2011 (36 months) • Total budget:€2,099,980.64 • Co-funded by: INTERREG IVC Programme • Lead partner institution:Regional Environmental Center

5. The RSCPartnership Wroclaw CEP Cornwall Burgenland U Debrecen REC Lamoro Liguria Marche Bulgaria MRDPW La Rioja MEPA

6. Project Objective “The overall objective is to promote an EU-wide shift to climate-friendly economies by developing the potential of regional development programmes to stimulate mitigation and adaptation to climate change to deliver sustainable socio-economic development.”

7. Sub-objectives • Share good practices. • Develop long-lasting relationships between partners. • Raise awareness and disseminate information. • Inventory and compare SEA approaches. • Investigate and incorporate the use of SEA and SA into regional development programmes. • Practical guidance to convince and assist local and regional authorities and agencies. • Provide expertise and capacity-building to partner regions. • Give partner regions the opportunity to undertake pilot actions related. • Project findings communication at a strategic policy-forming level.

8. Project components • Management and Coordination 2. Communication and Dissemination • Website, newsletters, • Dissemination & publicity material • External events, • Final conference • Steering group meetings • Reporting • Financial management • Administrative management 3. Exchange of experiences 4. Pilot actions • Baseline report, • Indicators & criteria, • Macro-economic analysis, • SEA discussion paper, • Methodological Handbook, • CB & Thematic seminars • Pilot actions • Progress reports • Final reports

9. Major outputs • Baseline report on the situation in the partner regions; • Report on criteria and indicators; • A macro-economic analysis of three partner regions which will identify the necessary structural changes regions required for achieving low carbon status; • SEA/sustainability assessment discussion paper; • Methodological handbook for integration of climate change into regional development programmes; • Pilot actions (such as the preparation of a carbon footprint of regional development programmes)

10. Methodology • Project combines traditional networking opportunities with research and analysis to be carried out by the partners and external experts • Project team and Component Leaders will set up working groups for each major task • Working groups meet 2 – 3 times • Partners choose their working groups according to interest and experience

11. Progress so far • Project activities launched in Dec 2008 with the kick-off meeting • Working group on baseline assessment started • 4 new working groups will be launched in March

12. More information about the project http://rsc.rec.org/?page=home Thank you for your very kind interest!