Time: Thursday, May 19
14:00 – 15:30
Location: Embassy of the United States of America Itäinen Puistotie 14 B 00140 Helsinki, Finland
RSVP:
Please register by May 16 to HelsinkiProtocol@state.gov
Participation is free of charge and light refreshments will be served
Researchers and media representatives are invited join to join a roundtable discussion about nutrient offsetting hosted by the John Nurminen Foundation, the United States Embassy in Helsinki, and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). The event will include dialogue followed by a question and answer session on flexible mechanisms and economic incentives in water protection with two top U.S. researchers:
Dr. Marc Ribaudo – Chief of the Conservation and Environment Branch, Economic Research Service – Resource and Rural Economics Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dr. James Shortle – Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics at Penn State University
In Europe, current environmental legislation falls short of effectively reducing the Baltic Sea’s nutrient load. New ideas and flexible policies are needed to reduce discharges and achieve the largest effect with the least cost. In the United States, flexible mechanisms have been developed and applied for water protection in several drainage areas. Are there lessons to be learned for the Baltic Sea? Does private funding open up new opportunities in the battle against nutrients over-enriching bodies of water? Is there a risk of greenwashing in nutrient offsetting? Is nutrient offsetting the way to save the Baltic Sea? The roundtable will explore these and other pressing questions.
Event Schedule:
14:00 – Registration and Refreshments
14:30 – Introduction by Dr. Antti Iho, Principal Research Scientist, Natural Resources Institute of Finland
14:40 – Prof. Shortle and Dr. Ribaudo share experiences using flexible mechanisms for water protection in the United States
15:00 – Question and answer session
Please bring a photo ID for entry and arrive a few minutes early to allow sufficient time for security and registration. Only registered guests will be allowed entrance. Please also note that laptops, tablets, and memory sticks are not permitted inside the Embassy.
