The 2007 “Energy Policy for Europe” targets towards improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020, the ANSWER project aims to contribute to this policy by reducing energy use. The project will promote the reduction of carbon emissions through increased energy efficiency amongst businesses and communities within the North Sea Region. The project calls for promoting changes in practice by addressing attitudes and behaviour of businesses and societies, therefore leading to a reduction in energy use (and hence in carbon footprint). The project will develop a Climate Barometer Monitoring Tool which will be used to monitor and visualise the real time energy and climate performance of the participating communities and SME:s. In practice, by implementing the Climate Barometer Monitoring Tool they will commit and take steps towards energy and climate impact reductions. The partnership will also investigate and test common sourcing of energy supplies or energy efficiency goods and innovative management systems, by e.g. setting more high energy efficiency products into use through joint purchasing and stocking and thus compensating for the comparably longer delivery time of high efficient products.