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The common harbour porpoise is critically endangered in the central Baltic Sea and off the Iberian Peninsula, with only a few hundred individuals left. However, effective measures to enable the recovery of these special populations have so far been lacking. At the meeting of the UN Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP14, 12-17 Feb 2024), the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise has now been included in Appendix I: This recognises this sub-population as critically endangered and emergency measures can be taken to save it.

Did the fisheries Ministers act in accordance with the law when setting Baltic fishing quotas for this year? We, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), seriously question this and will tomorrow ask the EU Council to review its decisions to continue removing large quantities of herring even when stocks are far below safe levels. It is time to get legal clarity of what considerations must be taken when fisheries Ministers sit in all night sessions and decide on issues of detrimental importance to the ecosystem.

The UN defines the climate crisis primarily as a water crisis. We are feeling its effects in the form of increasing floods, rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers, forest fires, and droughts. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Report on the State of World Water Resources for 2022 , which contains an extensive assessment of global water resources, the hydrological cycle is out of balance as a result of climate change and human activities. Droughts, extreme rainfall, and other effects of climate change have a serious impact on life and the economy, threatening the long-term security of water resources for many millions of people. Despite the obvious link between water and climate policy, the water agenda has yet to be mentioned in the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, and it is only in the last few years that the presence of water issues in the debates at annual climate conferences has gradually increased. Learn more about climate change in the Baltic Sea region here and here . COP28 was very promising for the global water community. Even though official documents do not contain significant formulations of the role of water in fighting climate change, nevertheless, we can identify a general trend toward increasing the importance of the role of water resources in the climate agenda. So at last year's COP 27 conference in Egypt , the topic of water was finally included in the main outcome document. During COP 28, water issues began to rise even more sharply. Can we expect progress in integrating water and climate policies? There are grounds for hope for this, the main results of COP 28 in the context of water issues are presented below. The topic of water was also discussed at high-level discussions, as well as side events in various pavilions. The two main points of attraction were "Water for Climate" and "Ocean" pavilions.

Today, the members of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Nature Restoration Law as agreed in the trilogue negotiations, approving the final text with 53 to 28 votes. The proposal is now only one step away from the European Parliament’s side of the co-decision process to become reality: adoption in plenary. Initially designed to implement measures to restore at least 20% of the EU’s nature on land, rivers, and seas by 2030, the law travelled a troublesome path to get to this point. Earlier this year, the proposal unexpectedly became the target of an aggressive disinformation and scaremongering campaign led by Manfred Weber’s EPP group. During its plenary vote in July, the European Parliament had considerably watered down the draft law, making it the weakest position compared to the Commission’s proposal and the Council’s general approach. In the following trilogue negotiations, compromises were made to accommodate all parties involved in the agreement that was reached on 9 November. This outcome of today reflects the joint work and the many concessions that were made during the negotiations to reach the trilogue deal. The only missing step from the EU Parliament’s side is now a final rubber-stamp vote in plenary, expected to take place in early 2024. To conclude the legislative process, the Council will also need to give one last formal approval, which, given that the text already got a green light from the EU Member States last week, will be a formality. This vote is also the result of several months of unparalleled mobilisation in support of the first-ever EU law to restore ecosystems: more than 6,000 scientists, 100+ businesses, over 200 NGOs, numerous climate activists and over a million signatures and messages from citizens demanding a strong Nature Restoration Law urged and are still urging decision-makers to deliver this much-needed law. " The lawmakers actions are a bit closer to the end, but for nature it has not even begun yet. This law is badly needed and we can now soon focus on implementing both protection and restoration measures as legally binding actions ", commented Nils Höglund, CCB Fisheries Policy Officer. The #RestoreNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, EEB, and WWF EU says: “ It is encouraging to see how the support for the law has grown since an agreement was struck; the Environment Committee has now shown its clear commitment to get this law ready before the next European elections. However, it is still disappointing to see some MEPs not willing to protect Europe and its citizens from the devastating impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. It is now up to the Parliament’s full house to follow suit and vote ‘yes’ on the Nature Restoration Law. ” ENDS. Notes for editors: [1] The Nature Restoration Law has received support from EU Member States , the wind energy and solar industry , scientists , the progressive farming community , European hunters , financial institutions , European mayors , an increasing number of companies and business associations and European youth . Almost 1,200,000 signatures and messages for an ambitious Nature Restoration Law have been collected through various campaigns, which were launched by the #RestoreNature coalition (incl. Avaaz), WeMove , etc. [2] For more information about the Nature Restoration Law, please visit, www.restorenature.eu or www.ccb.se/restorenature-campaign

Nairobi, Kenya – The third meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) for a global agreement to end plastic pollution concluded on 19 th of November at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. Despite a mandate for a revised draft, Member States failed to reach an agreement on priorities for intersessional work ahead of INC-4, despite an 11th-hour attempt, jeopardizing significant advancements for the treaty process. With the significant petrochemical influence in the treaty negotiations , including the ‘low ambition’ of a group of ‘like-minded’ plastic-producing countries, and the lack of ambition by the so-called ‘high ambition’ countries, the INC-3 concluded without concrete headway towards the mandate adopted at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) to negotiate a comprehensive and legally binding treaty that will cover measures along the entire life cycle of plastic. Downstream actions are not enough According to the views of many Member States and INC observers, and based on mandate of UNEA resolution 5/14, a strong Global Plastics Treaty shall take into account the entire life cycle of plastics, from production to disposal. The most comprehensive modeling, incorporating the recent report “Towards Ending Plastic Pollution: 15 Global Policy Interventions for Systems Change” by Systemiq/the Nordic Council of Ministers , indicates that effectively tackling plastic pollution throughout its life cycle necessitates the implementation of supply-side controls on plastic production. Given the absence of projections indicating that waste management capacity will ever align with current estimates of plastic production, reducing the supply is the sole viable long-term solution. Currently, less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled, the U.N. Environment Programme says , while at least 14 million tonnes end up in oceans every year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says .

16 November 2016 - Tallinn, Estonia - Today the competition for the first ever NonHazCity Building Award in the Baltic Sea Region was announced at the Green Governance Conference by the Green Capital of Europe 2023 Tallinn and the World Future Council in Tallinn. The NonHazCity Building Award is the first policy prize recognizing best policies in construction in the Baltic Sea Region at local, regional or national level. It aims is to highlight policies protecting people and the environment from hazardous chemicals in buildings, integrating circularity, toxic-free & climate neutrality. The World Future Council co-ordinates and bestows the award in the framework of the NonHazCity 3 Project. “ Municipalities have a responsibility to protect their citizens and the environment from hazardous chemicals and to contribute to climate-neutral and circular construction. We cannot have sustainable cities and communities without sustainable construction. This award helps us to show that sustainable construction is possible and raise awareness among cities to be at the forefront to implement these solutions ,” said the Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, Joosep Vimm. 

13 November 2023, Nairobi (Kenya) - Coalition Clean Baltic along with many other global and national environmental NGOs is joining UN governments for a third session of the Plastics Treaty Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3), which is taking place this week in UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. During INC-3 participants will be mainly working with the zero draft of the Plastics Treaty, which was released by UNEP and the INC Chair in September 2023. The released document includes many placeholders and different language options, which are a good basis for further discussions. The most promising areas presented in the draft include options for progressive reduction of plastic production, elimination of polymers and chemicals of concern, elimination of problematic short-lived and avoidable plastics, the recognition of the need for transparency, just transition, and the setting up of systems and targets for reduction and reuse, among others. Potentially problematic and ambiguous provisions include text on recycled plastic content, Extended Producer Responsibility, and waste management. Without ambitious standards, these areas could misplace the emphasis on recycling and waste management measures, undermining the treaty's effectiveness. “ CCB believes that plastic pollution is currently a growing international crisis with a devastating impact on the environment, including on the marine resources, human health, human rights, environmental justice, the rights of indigenous people, biodiversity, and climate. As numerous studies have demonstrated, plastic has been found everywhere, not only in ecosystems and the atmosphere but also in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even inside our bodies ”, comments Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances and Marine Litter Working Area Leader, and participant of INC 3 in Nairobi. He continues: “ The future Global Plastics Treaty shall be effective in reversing the tide of plastic pollution, mechanisms and solutions to address it need to exist within climate and planetary boundaries. Among other things the new Treaty should be centered on avoiding future plastic pollution throughout the life cycle by phasing down production and consumption of plastics, and prohibition of toxic chemicals in plastics. ”

Intense trilogue negotiations concluded tonight

26 October 2023, Uppsala / Copenhagen / Stralsund - Today, environmental and youth NGOs from 11 countries of the Baltic Sea Region representing over 1,500,000 citizens sent a letter [1] to the Danish Minister of Transport, Thomas Danielsen, and the Danish Minister of Environment, Magnus Heunicke, expres sing their deep concern about the Lynetteholm project [2], an artificial island in the Copenhagen harbour that may affect the biodiversity and ecological state of the entire Baltic Sea. According to Stiig Markager, a Danish Professor of marine ecology and biochemistry at Aarhus University, the artificial island may block the flow of vital oxygen rich salt water through the Danish Øresund to the Baltic Sea a blockage that according to hi m can have significant, irreversible, negative environmental consequences for the Baltic Sea and all the countries around it [3]. Therefore, young people living in the Baltic Sea Region call on Danish Ministers to promptly engage an independent multinational marine expert body that will have a clear overview of the cumulative environmental effects of all projects in the Baltic Sea marine areas and the responsibility for the status of Øresund and the Baltic Sea. " The Danish authorities are ignoring not only us, young people and concerned citizens, but also scientists and International and European laws [4]. It is our future, the future of our children and that of the marine environment of the entire Baltic Sea that is at stake. Therefore, we urge the Danish Parliament to engage an independent multinational marine council to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of Lynetteholm as well as of future projects in the Baltic Sea ", commented Maren Høj Muff from the Green Youth Movement in Denmark, as one of the representatives of the environmental and youth NGOs behind the letter. Until then, they request the Danish ministers to immediately put the Lynetteholm project on hold and to consult all countries that may be environmentally and financially affected by this project because as they state “a good cooperation between the Baltic Sea countries is an absolute necessity not only to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea, but also to see us move towards a better future”. *** For further information, please contact: Mikhail Durkin, CCB Executive Secretary: mikhail.durkin@ccb.se (+46) 739 770 793 Maren Høj Muff, The Green Youth Movement in Denmark: mhmuff@gmail.com (+45) 4086 2101 Moritz Röhlke, NAJU Rostock: rostock@naju-mv.de Daniela Herrmann, Scientific Associate Marine Conservation, Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU): Daniela.Herrmann@nabu.de + 49 (0)162 2050373 *** NOTES for the editors: [1] The full letter is available here . [2] In June 2021, A majority in the Danish Parliament approved the Lynetteholm project, allowing the construction of an artificial island of 2.8 km 2 that will provide a new residential area for 35,000 inhabitants and 35,000 workplaces in the outlet of Copenhagen harbour. The project is due to be completed in 50 years’ time (2070). More info: https://www.ccb.se/-stoplynetteholm-campaign [3] The Baltic Sea is brackish water and only receives oxygen rich salt water from the Atlantic Ocean through the three Danish seas Øresund, Great Belt and Little Belt. According to Stiig Markager, Professor of marine ecology and biochemistry at Aarhus University , there is a high degree of certainty that even a minor reduction in the salinity of the Baltic Sea will have significant negative consequences for biodiversity and the ecological state of the Baltic Sea. Read his memo /analysis sent directly to Danish politicians (April 2023). [4] Under the UN Espoo Convention and the EU's SEA/EIA Directives, the authorities of a country are obliged to consult all countries that may be environmentally affected by a construction project unless "significant transboundary impact can be excluded with certainty". The Lynetteholm project was approved despite Swedish criticism and without consultation of all the Baltic Sea countries despite the fact that all Baltic Sea countries may be affected. So far, only Sweden has been consulted under the Espoo Convention. However, the Lynetteholm project was adopted in the Danish Parliament in June 2021 despite the fact that the Swedish Minister of Environment and Climate a month before had sent a letter directly to the Danish Minister of Environment in which he emphasizes the importance of the Danish Parliament not taking any decisions regarding Lynetteholm before the environmental impacts have been properly investigated and before the Espoo consultations between Denmark and Sweden have been finalised. His letter was kept secret and not forwarded to the members of the Danish Parliament before voting about the Lynetteholm project (read the full letter in English here: Microsoft Word - Per Bolund 2021 letter final.docx (cdn-website.com) and the original here: Aktindsigtsoversigt 4 - Maj-2021-Jan 2022.pdf (cdn-website.com) . In addition, a letter sent to the Danish authorities in May 2023 on behalf of six Swedish authorities - where they repeat their concern for the Baltic Sea and ask about the solution regarding the blocking of saline water to the Baltic Sea - has so far been ignored (read the full letter in English here Microsoft Word - Naturvaardsverket letter May 2023 final.docx (cdn-website.com) and the original here: Yttrande remissvar (cdn-website.com)