At its 11th Baltic Sea Festival seminar, WWF together with the Boston Consulting Group published a report outlining possibilities to turn the current problems in the Baltic Sea region into opportunities.
Highlighting the critical state of the Baltic Sea, and its uncertain future, the authors take the perspective that through an integrated, cross-sectoral, regional approach a future crisis can be averted and turned into innovation, growth and jobs.
By focusing on key issues – identified as eutrophication, hazardous substances and overfishing – and creating the right incentives, business and private sector partnerships can turn the region into a global centre for blue and green technology.
This possibility to create a region of global leadership, a model for marine management and environmental protection, is something that Race for the Baltic has emphasized as well. If we cannot achieve it in the Baltic Sea region, which – from a global perspective – is both prosperous and has a well-educated population, then where?
One of the speakers, Marcus Wallenberg, Chair at SEB, emphasized the need to focus, especially when you are dealing with a complex issue.
– You will not fix everything at the same time. Therefore one of the main issues is to focus on 3, maybe 5 things at most, he said.
According to him, this is a lesson learnt in business and leadership which can be universally applied. Without focus, monitoring of progress becomes impossible, and if things are not monitored they often do not get done. He also spoke about the key role of experienced entrepreneurs in finding solutions, and mentioned the importance of people like Niklas Zennström and Björn Carlzon getting involved with the issues.
The focus of the seminar was in line with and supportive of the work and targets of the Race for the Baltic campaign, with WWF staff also highlighting the lack of progress on regional targets in the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and the urgent need for a more focused and visionary approach being endorsed at the upcoming HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Copenhagen on 3 October. Not only to avoid future crisis and a “shipwrecked state” of the Baltic Sea, but in order to capitalise on the opportunity and create sustainable growth.
Turning Adversity into Opportunity – A Business Plan for the Baltic Sea. WWF, 2013
Counter Currents – Scenarios for the Baltic Sea torwards 2030. WWF, 2012