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The Baltic Sea Challenge

Lotta Nummelin

City of Helsinki Environment Centre

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• The challenge to improve the state of the Baltic Sea was declared by the mayors of the cities Turku and Helsinki in June 2007.

• Municipalities and cities are responsible for several decisions

and actions that have direct impact on the state of the sea

• For Helsinki and Turku the state of the Baltic Sea is a question

of competitiveness and welfare.

• Baltic Metropoles Network (Balt Met) and Union of the Baltic

Cities (UBS) has adopted the Baltic Sea Challenge as an

important project and encourage thier members to join

Why and where it started

The action plan of Helsinki and Turku

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Actions by the cities of Helsinki and Turku 1. Reducing point source loading (HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services

Authority , Environment Centre)

2. Reducing diffuse loading

2.1 Reducing agricultural loading (Public Works Department, Environment Centre)

2.2 Reducing wastewater discharges from scattered settlement areas (Real Estate

Department)

3. Dredging of contaminated sediment (Port of Helsinki)

4. Reducing the wastewater discharges from shipping and boating (Sports

Department, Port of Helsinki, Real Estate Department, HSY Helsinki Region

Environmental Services Authority )

5. International cooperation (Administration Centre)

6. Research projects and establishment of a professorship (Environment Centre

and Public Works Department, in co-op with University of Helsinki)

7. Establishing a fund for the protection of the Archipelago Sea (Turku)

8. Increasing awareness about the state of the Baltic Sea (all departments)

9. Developing oil spill containment (Rescue Department)

– Buffer zones, organic farming, stop use of chemical P-fertilizers

– Common directions of farming methods and exchange of experiences

– Information signs about water protection methods in agriculture

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Example of actions in Helsinki: agriculture

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Example of actions in Helsinki and Turku: wastewater

discharges from international cruise shipping

• agreement of removing all additional wastewater fees for

international cruise ships

Co-operation with others

• City of Helsinki donated a professorship to University of

Helsinki, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, in the

discipline of Environmental Economy

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Challenge campaign

Over 180 actors in the Baltic Sea Challenge

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– cities and municipalities

– NGOs, societys and interest organisations

– European Cruise Council and big shipping companies

– big international companies (Kemira Oyj, SOK, Outokumpu, STX Finland Cruise Oy, Valio, Pohjolan Voima Oy…)

– universities and schools

– Regional Environmental Centres in Finland

– Finnish Regional Authorities

– other actors (e.g. Finnish Maritime Administration, Agrifood Research Finland, Tampere Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Turku Chamber of Commerce, Construction Establishment of Defence Administration, The Finnish Border Guard, John Nurminen Foundation)

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What does it mean?

• The challenged actors will make their own action plans, based on

their own needs and possibilities

– Goal: improving the state of the Baltic Sea on voluntary

basis, actions are additional to the environmental norms and

legally binding obligations

– There are no requirements or restrictions for an action plan,

but concrete actions, innovativeness and co-operation are

encouraged

What do we offer?

Learning from each other - exchanging ideas

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What do we offer?

finding new partners

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What do we offer?

knowledge

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What do we offer?

togehter we get seen…

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What do we offer?

… and heard

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What do we offer?

materials

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Welcome to the Baltic Sea

Challengen network!