HELCOM’s action on climate change
Climate change is a cross-cutting issue affecting the entire Baltic Sea region. With the entire marine environment affected by climate change, its impacts are already evident in the Baltic Sea. For example, water temperatures are rising and the sea ice cover has decreased.
In response to these challenges, HELCOM aims to increase the resilience of the Baltic Sea ecosystem to the impacts of climate change. HELCOM’s climate-related work is carried out through various mechanisms:
Reducing emissions
Through the Green Team, HELCOM cooperates closely with the maritime sector to minimize the negative impacts of shipping on the Baltic Sea. This includes incentivising the transition to greener shipping practices and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.
Increasing resilience
Measures that strengthen the resilience of the Baltic marine ecosystem rare also regarded climate adaptation measures. HELCOM recommendations and HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) contain a numerous agreements among Baltic Sea countries aimed at enhancing the resilience of the Baltic Sea.
Adapting management
HELCOM has adopted a routine procedure for climate-proofing checking its policies and recommendations to allow for
integration of new knowledge, technologies and strategies to address evolving climate challenges.
Increasing knowledge
HELCOM serves as a platform for disseminating knowledge on the impacts of climate change, for example through the HELCOM climate change fact sheet, and for facilitating cooperation and communication with relevant actors within and beyond the HELCOM region.
Promoting climate change science
Advancing climate change mitigation measures relevant to the Baltic Sea, such as increasing the “blue carbon” storage, requires a better understanding of the carbon cycle in the Baltic Sea land-sea system. This includes examining the links between the carbon dynamics, the eutrophication legacy and biodiversity (e.g. carbon sequestration). This is reflected in the HELCOM Science agenda.
Projects to further understanding and management
To strengthen the basis for management action related to climate change, HELCOM also engages in regional projects.
Climate change in HOLAS
Climate change has been addressed in HELCOM’s holistic assessments of the Baltic Sea since its first iteration in 2010, with its importance increasing over time. In the most recent assessment (HOLAS 3, 2023), climate change is addressed in most chapters, especially those on biodiversity, habitats and foodwebs (Chapter 4) and the conclusions (Chapter 6). HOLAS 3 also includes a number of commonly agreed indicators, each with a dedicated sub-chapter addressing climate change aspects. One indicator specifically focusses on acidification.
Climate change in the 2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan
In the 2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), the following specific actions were agreed by all HELCOM Contracting Parties on the topic of climate change. Progress of work is reported and shown in HELCOM explorer.
| Code | Action |
|---|---|
| HT1 | Using the HELCOM/Baltic Earth Joint Expert Network on Climate Change as a platform and through committed implementation of the HELCOM Science Agenda, improve the access of policy-makers to scientific information on the impacts of climate change together with multiple other pressures on the Baltic Sea marine environment through periodic updates of the HELCOM Climate Change Fact Sheet, and incorporate the possible effect of climate change into the holistic assessment of status as well as effectiveness of measures by 2030 at latest. |
| HT2 | Identify the needs and possibilities to further adapt HELCOM’s policies and recommendations to account for effects and impacts on the environment under the changing climate and to develop and carry out a climate change policy review process as part of the work of HELCOM, starting e.g. with indicators and open recommendations. |
| HT3 | HELCOM and its parties will continue to strive to develop the work at the HELCOM Secretariat and the organisation of HELCOM meetings so as to further minimise emissions of greenhouse gases. |
| HT4 | Promote research that increases understanding of the role of the Baltic Sea land-sea system in the carbon cycle and identifies how mitigation by natural blue carbon processes can be maximised and implement suitable measures. Increased understanding should be utilised to enable consideration of additional management measures. |
| HT5 | Develop a strategic approach to ocean acidification for the Baltic Sea with first steps addressing the knowledge gaps by 2025. |
Connection to other treaties
HELCOM’s work on climate change supports the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. The extent of the effects of climate change on the Baltic Sea will depend on whether the goal of the Agreement – to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels – is achieved, and to what extent.
Resources
- Joint HELCOM/Baltic Earth Expert Network on Climate Change
- Climate change in the Baltic Sea fact sheet (2024)
- HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (2021)
- Guidance on incorporating climate change considerations in the review and update
process of HELCOM policies (2025) - HELCOM’s holistic assessments of the Baltic Sea (2023)
- HELCOM Science agenda (2024)