To meet the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal, cities must cut emissions drastically. Urban areas are central to this transition and cities are required to embed climate action into everyday governance and budgeting processes.

Local authorities often struggle to turn climate commitments into action. Barriers include budget constraints, limited capacity, and siloed governance processes – as well as the language gap and disconnect between climate experts and decision-makers. Climate budgeting provides a structured way to make emissions reductions measurable and manageable—yet many municipalities still struggle to implement it.

Climate-4-CAST develops the Climate Action Decision Support (CADS) Tool – an open-source platform that enables local authorities to strengthen climate budgeting processes. The tool allows municipalities to visualise, assess, and compare climate action scenarios, integrating them into everyday budget planning and governance routines.

The CADS Tool translates emissions data and policy impacts into easy-to-understand formats. It enables cities to model actions across sectors such as energy, transport, waste, and land use, and evaluate their costs, emissions reduction potential, and co-benefits. By doing so, it supports cities’ financial planning that aligns with climate targets, encourages cooperation between departments, and enhances transparency in decision-making.

Six pilot cities—Tampere, Aarhus, Riga, Östersund, Norderstedt, and Bytom—are testing the CADS Tool on real climate actions: from organic soil management and energy-efficient building upgrades to mobility strategies and tree-planting initiatives. Early results show how the set-up of the CADS tool supports climate budgeting processes by integrating emissions data into political processes, prioritising cost-effective actions, and engaging stakeholders.

With the Interreg BSR support, Climate-4-CAST empowers cities to embed climate action into everyday governance. It builds capacity, bridges the gap between science and policy, and provides practical solutions for reaching climate neutrality targets. The long-term vision is to foster sustainable urban development across the Baltic Sea Region, helping cities become resilient to climate change and contribute to a low-carbon future.