Collaborations drive action for a healthier Baltic Sea

In Finland, Neste has continued its collaboration with the John Nurminen Foundation to support the protection of biodiversity of the Baltic sea. The purpose of the John Nurminen Foundation is to protect marine environment, pass on marine culture, publish maritime literature, and advocate for the importance of the sea. In their projects, they aim to improve the state of the Baltic Sea by reducing eutrophication and nature loss as well as preventing harmful substances from getting into the sea.

“We at Neste are committed to driving a positive impact on biodiversity ‒ sustainability is at the core of our strategy. To increase awareness and drive impactful change, we build meaningful partnerships both locally and globally with organizations committed to similar goals. Protection of the Baltic Sea holds a particular significance also for Neste as many of our operating countries have a coastline with the Baltic Sea. Our cooperation with the John Nurminen Foundation in Finland and with several organizations in the Baltics promotes the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Baltic Sea”, says Hanna Maula, Vice President, Communications and Brand at Neste.

Neste summer campaign in the Baltics engages consumers

Among Neste personnel, cleaning the coastlines has been one of the most popular voluntary work activities in many different parts of the world, also on the shores of the Baltic Sea. In addition, Neste teams in the Baltics have organized local Baltic Sea summer campaigns. During four consecutive years campaigning has raised consumers' awareness of the vulnerability of the Baltic Sea and in collaboration with partners, the Baltic Sea shores and the sea has been cleaned from trash and ghost nets, fishing nets that are abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded into the sea.

Neste’s Baltic Sea summer campaign activities started on 1 July and continue until 31 August 2024. In Estonia, the Baltic Sea summer campaign partner, the World Clean Up Day (Maailmakoristus), has organized open for all cleaning hikes around the Baltic Sea shores and beach areas during the summer. During the hikes participants have learned about the impact of waste and human activity on the environment and climate, and the state of the Baltic Sea. On the Baltic Sea Day on 29 August 2024, a bigger cleaning day activity at the Pikakari beach in Estonia will be organized where also voluntary divers clean the trash thrown into the sea.

In Lithuania, the campaign partner, for a third time already, is Diving academy (Nardymo Akademija), who is locating and extracting the ghost nets that are harmful for the sea animals and dissolving plastic particles to the sea water.

In Latvia, the cleaning of the Baltic Sea from the ghost nets has continued with the 2023 campaign partners; Latvian Maritime Academy of the Riga Technical University and the Center for Science and Innovation who in collaboration with Neste invited students to a Neste Coopetition where innovative solutions for reusing the ghost nets were created.

During the Neste Baltic Sea summer campaign, each refuelling at Neste stations in the Baltics with the Neste App generates € 0.10 cents sponsoring, that is directed to saving the Baltic Sea. In 2023, the campaign generated 42,700 € and this year the target is to exceed the sponsored total amount as well as the number of collected ghost nets in 2023.

The Baltic Sea Day is celebrated every year on the last Thursday in August with various rallies and events taking place in the countries around the Baltic Sea. Originally introduced by the John Nurminen Foundation, the Baltic Sea Day encourages people to enjoy the sea and to take concrete actions for its benefit. This year the Baltic Sea Day will take place on 29 of August 2024.

Learn more about the Baltic Sea

What is it that makes the Baltic Sea so unique? Why does it need our special attention? Find out here: The Baltic Sea – vulnerable and unique

Credits:

Photo in this article by Lasse Hendriks, John Nurminen Foundation