Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023

Implementing the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), aiming for a healthy Baltic Sea, is a demanding – but feasible – task. We need all sectors on board in reaching each one of the ambitious targets, which cover a very wide range of topics.

The aim of the Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023 (BSC2023) was to harvest ideas from stakeholders around the sea – and beyond – for accelerating the implementation of the BSAP and finding solutions for both long-standing and emerging challenges as well as to share examples to inspire others. All participants were encouraged to think outside the box! The Conference was hosted by Latvia.

Memo

Baltic Stakeholder Conference 2023 Download

Programme (includes links to presentations)

Moderator: Sandra Kropa, environmental journalist, Latvia

10.00 – 10.10	Welcome Opening remarks, Evija Šmite, HELCOM Chair
10.10 – 10.30	Youth Q&A: What is really being done for improving the state of the Baltic Sea? Pauliuss Kliucininkas and Josefine Gottschalk, Baltic Sea Youth Advocacy Working Group coordinated by the Council of the Baltic Sea States Answers by Marie Louise Krawack, Former Chair of HELCOM Working Group on the State of the Environment and Nature Conservation Lars Sonesten, Former Chair of HELCOM Working Group on the Reduction of Pressures from the Baltic Sea Catchment Area
10.30 – 11.30	BLOCK 1: RAISING AWARENESS What if people just don’t know – or care – enough? – Awareness raising and accelerating actions for the Baltic Sea
	Increasing awareness – the ethical side Olle Torpman, Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm, Sweden (video recording)
	Baltic Sea Farmer Award – how to build longer-term engagement Hannah Griffiths Berggren, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme
	How to make citizen science blossom: algae sightings in Finland Matti Lindholm, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
11.30 – 12.30	BLOCK 2: MUNICIPAL LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION How is the local level taking up the challenge? – Municipal and sub-national action hitting the BSAP targets
	Multiplying Smart water management: how the cities have spearheaded action Agnieszka Ilola, Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), Smart Water Hub
	Cut back chemical pollution – municipalities taking action Heidrun Fammler, Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF) Germany
	BSAP certainly can be mirrored sub-nationally: the success of the local BSAPs Mari Savela and Milla Stenström, Baltic Sea Challenge, City of Helsinki
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch
13.30 – 14.30	BLOCK 3: PRIVATE SECTOR COOPERATION How about all the buzz outside the public sector? – Private sector cooperation and the BSAP
	We all want less marine litter in the Baltic Sea: cooperation is key Chresten Heide-Anderson, member of the EUMEPS Board of Directors; Director General of the Danish EPS Association
	Discharge or recharge – ship-generated waste turned into energy Elisa Mikkolainen, Baltic Sea Action Group
	How can the private sector contribute to reaching the conservation goals of the Baltic Sea? Markku Viitasalo, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
14.30 – 15.30	BLOCK 4: FINANCING We need money to get many of these things done – Financing the actions: is it steered right? And should there be more?
	Nutrient input bonds: Impact-based financing – the Archipelago Sea example Pekka Salminen, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Ely-keskus), Southwest Finland
	Panel discussion Johanna Fox, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme Christopher Flensborg, SEB Mikko Halonen, Gaia Consulting Ltd. Lasma Livzeniece, Latvian Wind Energy Association
15.30 – 15.50	Event pre-survey results and wrap-up
15.50 – 16.00	Closing words, Rüdiger Strempel, HELCOM Executive Secretary

Additional materials

Contact

Laura Meski

Associate Professional Secretary
laura.meski@helcom.fi,
+358 40 820 1725

Susanna Kaasinen

Associate Professional Secretary
susanna.kaasinen@helcom.fi,
+358 40 536 5819