1. Introduction to Baseline Review
The first important step of the integrated management system (IMS) is to analyse the present sustainability condition of the city. The purpose is to create a stock of information that will serve as a basis for setting priorities, targets and for monitoring progress. Improvements are visible only if they can be compared to a starting point – the baseline. It is also an analysis of the pressures that have led to the current situation, as well as the impacts those pressures have on various parts of the society, economy and environment and the policies and measures already in place.
The baseline review is a regularly repeated part of the IMS that should be conducted by a cross-sectoral working group. Available data on all relevant sustainability aspects should be collected. Even if all the data cannot be delivered during the first cycle, it serves to identify the gaps. The baseline review maps legal requirements, data regarding all significant aspects, emerging issues and trends, political priorities, departments and external organisations involved, existing instruments and systems. Using the Aalborg Commitments as a framework for the data collection will already help a lot to structure the review, as they already predefine the categories to analyse.
Based on the information and data available in the baseline review, the first strategic programme can be drawn up. The baseline review is renewed every 3-5 years or more often if the surrounding world has changed substantially.
