The European Union has advanced its Green Industrial Deal agenda, supporting industrial competitiveness while accelerating the energy transition and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy dependency. Industrial areas, where companies of different sizes and sectors operate side by side, have proven to be key leverage points for sharing energy and material resources and for increasing energy efficiency at scale.

In response, the GreenIndustrialAreas partnership developed, tested and finalised a joint approach for the certification of green industrial areas in the Baltic Sea Region. The project established a Transnational standard for certification, accompanied by a practical Tool-box that supports stakeholders in planning and implementing energy-smart investments and cooperative solutions within industrial areas.

Both outputs were piloted in 2024 in six industrial areas across five Baltic Sea Region countries, in close cooperation with public authorities, industrial park managers, companies and other stakeholders. The pilot phase confirmed the feasibility and added value of a common path towards greener industrial areas. With the project now concluded, the standard and the Tool-box are available for wider uptake and further roll-out across the Baltic Sea Region.