Energy efficiency measures are the best option to minimize energy demand in the building sector. In the Act Now project, researchers and municipal representatives are working together to improve the energy efficiency of public and private buildings and promote climate protection. Municipalities and local representatives play a key role in energy efficiency efforts in the building sector - as investors and due to their proximity to citizens and business representatives, they can set an example and promote the market introduction of energy efficiency systems. The team of the Chair of Finance and Economics is an expert partner in the financing and organization of energy efficiency projects. It investigates which financing instruments and forms of organization are used or not used and the reasons for this. Heinrich Degenhart and his team are also developing a guidebook that provides comprehensive support to municipalities in questions of financing and organization. Overall, the project aims at capacity building: Decision-makers and employees as well as local stakeholders are to be empowered for activities in the field of energy efficiency; in addition, administrative processes are to be analyzed in order to identify obstacles for more effective measures as well as easily implementable activities. So-called "local energy efficiency work groups" consisting of municipal employees and external stakeholders will be established, on the one hand as a learning and experimental field, and on the other hand to manage local processes in a perspective-oriented way. Experiences of these tailor-made developments and results will be made available to a wider audience of public and private actors in the Baltic Sea region through handouts and online training programs. The European Union supports the project within the framework of the Interreg VB-Baltic Initiative, which aims to strengthen cooperation and exchange between the states in the Baltic Sea region in order to improve the implementation of their energy and climate policies