Events

The Port of Helsinki presents the international Celebrity Constellation cruise ship the Green Attitude recognition on 17 March, 2009. Celebrity Constellation has been discharging its wastewater into the Helsinki sewer system since 2005 - right from when it was first made possible. During the first year, wastewater left by Celebrity Constellation constituted 70% of all cruise ship wastewater received at Helsinki. Since then, the amount of wastewater the ship discharges at Helsinki has doubled. Celebrity Constellation has also worked with the Port of Helsinki to develop wastewater reception methods.

In international waters it is legal to discharge waste waters from ships to the sea. Ships in regular traffic have discharged their waste waters already for years to sewer system while in Helsinki. As a part of the Baltic Sea Challenge Port of Helsinki sent letters to international shipping companies in June 2008 to urge also international cruise ships to discharge their waste water into the city sewer system. Wastewater fees were not charged from international cruise ships on a trial basis in the summer of 2008 and the trial will now become standard practice for all vessels.

• 17.3.2009 Press release of Port of Helsinki
• Port of Helsinki Info 6/2008: The Port of Helsinki to discontinue charging wastewater fees

Helsinki International Boat fair is organised on 7th - 15th February in Helsinki Fair Centre. Finland's largest boating industry event in terms of physical size and number of visitors is the year's most prestigious maritime event in Finland and a magnet for all enthusiasts of the boating lifestyle. The fair's programme area is a deep swimming pool and it, together with the Ballroom lecture facility, will be the venue of a good couple of hundred performances. The Baltic Sea Challenge is presented in City of Helsinki Sports Department's (Maritime Division) stand 2e3. Welcome!

• Helsinki International Boat Show

Matka 2009 Travel Fair is organised on 15th - 18th January in Helsinki Fair Centre. The theme for 2009 is "Our world - our responsibility". On 15th January the admission is only for travel trade and on 16th - 18th January for the public. The Baltic Sea Challenge is presented in City of Helsinki Sports Department's (Maritime Division) stand 1b28. Welcome!

Matka 2009

The second national seminar on the Baltic Sea Challenge is organised in Helsinki, in Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences on 7th December 2008 at 10-15.30 o'clock. The program of the seminar and information of possible evening program will be sent later. In February the first national seminar for the Finnish Baltic Sea Challenge actors was organised in Tampere. In the second seminar the challenged actors are asked to introduce their situation: new actors to present their plans, and those who accepted the challenge earlier to show how their actions are proceeding. Also experiences will be exchanged, and topical issues and the future of the Baltic Sea Challenge will be discussed in the seminar.

More information from the coordinators Lotta Ruokanen and Salla-Maria Alanen

• Baltic Sea Challenge Steering Group 10-11 September 2008, agenda

The first international coordination meeting was arranged in Helsinki at 12 – 13th June 2008. Starting-point and goals of the international Baltic Sea Challenge were discussed, as well as obligations for the participating cities and practical arrangements of the Challenge.

Cities of Tallinn and Stockholm promised to make inventories of their situation. Also concrete goals for the next meeting were decided. The next international Baltic Sea Challenge Steering Group meeting is going to be held at 11th September 2008 in Turku.

• Baltic Sea Challenge Steering Group 12-13th June 2008, agenda

The first national seminar of the Baltic Sea challenge was organised in the city of Tampere on 7th February 2008. The Baltic Sea challenge and its background were introduced, as also what had happened during the campaign, what kind of action plans the challenged actors have made and the future plans of the challenge.

The seminar was organised as a side event of the meeting of the Commission on Environment of the Union of Baltic Cities (UBC), and the participants had an opportunity to participate to this meeting also (with the theme “Visions of future in the Baltic Sea Region”).

The event that was free of charge was organised at the Tampere Central Administration house. There were c. 40 participants.

Links:

• The programme of the seminar and presentations on the City of Turku web pages (in Finnish)
• UBC Commission on Environment
• UBC Commission on Environment meeting in Tamperee 7.-8.2.2008