Budgeting for municipal investments is a complex process that requires not only knowledge of funding sources and financial models but also the consideration of environmental and climate-related aspects. In response to the growing challenges of ecological transformation faced by local governments, climate mainstreaming is playing an increasingly significant role. This approach involves integrating climate issues directly into policy, planning, and municipal budget management. As a result, climate action becomes an integral component of investment decisions rather than a separate initiative running parallel to other strategies. To support the practical implementation of climate mainstreaming, the OwnYourSECAP project organized a series of online workshops on the topic.
The first training session, titled "Climate Action in Municipal Budgets: Financial Aspects of the Ecological Transformation for Local Governments" took place on February 20, 2025. The event focused on the foundational principles of this methodology. During the meeting, participants examined the role of climate budgeting in municipal investment planning and engaged with key concepts demonstrating why the integration of climate action into local budgets is crucial for achieving emission reductions, advancing climate adaptation, and tackling energy poverty. The speakers included both Polish experts and international advisors. A key part of the training featured representatives from the Finnish cities of Tampere and Turku, who shared their hands-on experience with climate budgeting. Their contributions demonstrated how theoretical concepts can be translated into tangible investment decisions and how this approach can help municipalities strengthen their strategic development planning.
In May 2025, further online workshops were held, this time dedicated specifically to representatives of the municipalities involved in the OwnYourSECAP project - the City of Bydgoszcz and the City and Municipality of Sztum. The workshop focused on the practical application of methodologies for integrating climate action with financial management processes. During both sessions, participants were introduced to a standardized approach for conducting a budget review. This process covered everything from data collection and analysis to classifying budget items based on their climate impact, and finally, summarizing the results to identify priority action areas. A key element of both meetings were practical exercises, which allowed participants not only to analyze municipal budgets on their own, but also to identify problems related to reporting and categorizing activities. In addition to covering climate mainstreaming methodology and its connection to SECAPs (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans), the workshops featured an individualized workflow tailored to the most important local action areas. For each municipality, specific areas requiring further refinement and work were identified. This customized approach enabled local authorities to assess their budgets in light of their own challenges, recognize issues unique to their municipalities, and define priorities for advancing local climate policy.
The entire workshop cycle demonstrated that climate mainstreaming can be an effective tool to support municipalities in planning investments and managing budgets in a way that not only addresses immediate needs but also strengthens resilience and promotes sustainable development over the long term. The findings from these meetings indicate that local governments gain a deeper awareness of the climate impact of their financial decisions and commit to gradually increasing the share of climate-focused investments in the years ahead.
The event was organised in the framework of the OwnYourSECAP project (Support to regional and local authorities in the development and implementation of the SECAP Plan), funded under the LIFE+ programme and grant agreement No. 101077109.
