Nutribute Platform

Nutribute applies the idea of crowdfunding into Baltic Sea protection. It makes it possible to raise funds for projects that reduce eutrophication, and to participate in concrete action to improve the state of the Baltic Sea.

Nutribute is a new fundraising tool for Baltic Sea projects. On the Nutribute platform, all Baltic Sea stakeholders can present their activities that cause measurable reductions in nutrient discharges. With the help of social media, project initiators can establish communities to raise money for their activities. On the other hand, the general public and organisations can support the activities of their choice and participate in activities as voluntary financiers.

Nutribute follows the concept of crowdfunding. The crowdfunding model generally involves three types of actors: the project initiator who proposes the project to be funded, individuals or groups who support the idea, and a moderating organisation (the platform) that brings the parties together to launch the idea. In the Baltic Sea context, the platform (i.e. Nutribute) thus brings together Baltic Sea savers and the supporters of their projects. The platform is administrated by John Nurminen Foundation via the NutriTrade project.

The platform is open for all kinds of projects in the Baltic Sea catchment area – from local restoration projects to agricultural activities and measures in wastewater treatment. Nutribute refers to words “nutrients” and “contribute” and the platform is available free of charge.

The obvious aim of Nutribute is to boost action and improve the state of the sea. For project initiators, Nutribute offers a tool for creating awareness of their project and a fundraising tool that can help in gathering the missing euros needed to implement the project. For donors, Nutribute offers a way to participate in actions in a structured, monitored way. In addition, organisations or individuals can actually offset their own nutrient discharges (their nutrient footprint) and become nutrient neutral.

The first organisations accepting this challenge were the city of Helsinki and HSY (Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority). They decided to neutralise the phosphorus discharges of Helsinki Viikinmäki treatment plant and to become nutrient neutral by financing an equivalent nutrient reduction in a project in Vitebsk, Belarus. By doing this, Helsinki became the first city of the Baltic Sea area that is phosphorus neutral in terms of its municipal wastewaters. Since then, others have followed suit – Kotka, Porvoo and Turku are also nutrient neutral cities.

Nutribute is now operational and project manager Anna Saarentaus is inviting new users to join. If you are interested in becoming a project initiator or a contributor, you are most welcome to contact Anna Saarentaus at firstname.lastname@jnfoundation.fi or to have a look at www.nutribute.org.

 

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