NIB at SuomiAreena on 17 July

On Wednesday, 17 July, NIB will participate in a debate at Finland’s political summer festival SuomiAreena in Pori, Finland, about “Building bridges over polluted waters – How can Nordic initiatives save one of the dirtiest seas on the planet?”

NIB is arranging the debate together with Nordic Council of Ministers and Moomin Characters.

NIB will talk about sustainable financing and its contribution towards improving the environment of the Baltic Sea. An example is NIB’s recent blue bond issuance, an innovative financial instrument to encourage sustainable water projects in the Baltic Sea.

“We recently issued the first Nordic-Baltic blue bond of five-year and SEK 2 billion, intended for sustainable investors who wants to finance projects such as wastewater treatment, prevention of water pollution and water-related climate change adaptation. Bonds of this kind allow us to connect investors to projects that bring environmental benefits to our waters and the Baltic Sea“, says Henrik Normann, President & CEO of NIB.

Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers will lay out her visions for the Council’s work for the Baltic Sea, where the Nordic countries can become thought leaders in a field that the whole world is watching.

“The Nordic ministers for the climate and for the environment have the objective to be leading globally when it comes to combating emissions of plastic waste and microplastics to the oceans. The Nordic Council of Ministers is currently examining which specific elements need to be included in a global agreement on plastic. Such a treaty is needed as soon as possible,” says Secretary General Paula Lehtomäki.

The panellists are:
Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers
Roleff Kråkström, CEO, Moomin Characters
Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Secretary General, John Nurminen Foundation
Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, MP, Estonia
Amanda Rejström, CEO, Spark Sustainability
Henrik Normann, President & CEO, NIB

Mark Levengood will be moderating the debate.

The one-hour debate starts at Antinkatu 5 in Pori at 17.30. The debate will be live-streamed via SuomiAreena’s- TV-broadcast and website.

Afterwards, the recording will be available on this website.

The debate is part of the main programme. SuomiAreena is organised by the City of Pori and Finnish commercial TV-channel MTV3.

The day in Pori starts with a press lunch at 12.00.

For more information, please contact:

Arild Moen, Senior Communications Officer at arild.moen@nib.int, mobile +358 10 618 0496