Bergen’s Climate Budget (2024)

Bergen has implemented a pioneering climate budgeting framework to integrate environmental targets into financial planning. This initiative ensures that municipal budgets align with the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), helping Bergen reduce emissions and strengthen accountability in climate governance.

Aligning financial planning with climate goals is a challenge for many cities. Bergen overcame this by introducing a climate budgeting framework in 2017, making emissions reduction a priority in municipal financial planning. Bergen follows a structured approach to climate budgeting:

• Framework Development: Integration of climate targets from the CAP into Bergen’s municipal financial planning.
• Assignment of Responsibility: Municipal departments are tasked with implementing specific actions and allocated budget to meet climate goals.
• Performance Monitoring: Annual climate reports track and reviews to assess progress, adapt strategies and guide plicy.
• Continuous Improvement: Stakeholder feedback ensures adaptive planning.
• Management System Approach: Establishing a retrofitting cycle of statistics, governing documents, implementation measures, and reporting evaluations to ensure constant improvement.
• Comprehensive Climate Budgeting Approach: Unlike traditional carbon budgets that focus on future targets, Bergen’s climate budget assesses current emissions, identifies feasible measures, and evaluates their projected impact on CO₂ reduction, ensuring informed decision-making.

Collaboration with key stakeholders strengthens Bergen’s climate budgeting:

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Provided guidance and resources for implementation.
• Local Government and Stakeholders: Ensured policy alignment with community priorities.
• Knowledge Sharing Networks: Facilitated peer-to-peer learning with other cities.

Engaging citizens and stakeholders is key to success:

• Public Consultations: Residents participate in climate budgeting decisions, ensuring transparency and buy-in.
• Digital Outreach: A dedicated website provides real-time updates and keeps stakeholders informed of progress
• Media Campaigns: Social media and traditional media highlight key successes to foster community pride and participation.

Sustained funding ensures long-term success:

• Climate budgeting initiatives were funded through a mix of municipal resources and external grants
• Investments were strategically aligned with long-term sustainability goals to optimize impact following a cost-benefit approach.

Bergen’s climate budgeting has delivered concrete results:

• A substantial 19% reduction in CO₂ emissions since implementation.
• Recognition as a global leader in climate budgeting, inspiring other cities worldwide.
• Strengthened institutional capacity to manage and monitor climate-related actions

Challenges and lessons from implementation:

• Stakeholder Resistance: Initial reluctance in adopting the framework.
• Measurement Complexity: Difficulty in quantifying budget-climate impact links.
• Ongoing Adaptation: Continuous refinements needed for efficiency.

Bergen’s climate budgeting framework serves as a scalable model for other cities. Key lessons include:

• Cross-Sector Coordination: Ensuring strong collaboration between departments to effectively integrate climate goals into financial planning.
• Robust Monitoring Systems: Establishing clear metrics and reporting mechanisms to track progress and maintain accountability.
• Integrated Financial and Environmental Planning: Aligning climate targets with budget allocations to achieve sustainable urban development.
• Long-Term Commitment: Maintaining political and institutional dedication to sustain climate budgeting across multiple budget cycles.

By embedding climate considerations into its budgeting processes, Bergen has demonstrated that effective governance can drive tangible progress toward climate goals. This model offers a compelling blueprint for cities worldwide seeking to bridge the gap between ambition and action.

• UTM Virtual Coffee Climate Budgeting with Bergen, Norway - Powered by UTMC
• Mainstreaming decarbonization through local climate budgets in Norwegian municipalities
• Step-by-step guide to climate budgeting

Are Børjesson
Senior Advisor, Climate Agency
City of Bergen