Author: Anton Eklund

Law of the Sea and the current threats

The Royal Naval Society of Sweden (sv: Kunglia Örlogsmannasällskapet) did a podcast with professor Henrik Ringbom from ÅAU and Marie Jacobsson (honorary member of the Royal Naval Society of Sweden, associate professor in public international law, and former legal advisor for the Swedish Department of Foreign Affairs) about the current threats in the marine environment.

In the podcast, they discuss the rights, obligations, and possibilities maritime law gives states to protect maritime infrastructure, how the seas are divided into different zones, and what implications that has, legally speaking.

You can listen to the podcast (in Swedish) here: Havsrätten och de moderna hoten – Kungl. Örlogsmannasällskapet

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is mentioned throughout the episode. The complete text of UNCLOS is available here.

Meyer Turku Biodiversity Reporting Project

This fall, I was granted an opportunity to work on a project with the shipyard in Turku, Meyer Turku. This so-called biodiversity project aims to provide a basis for a biodiversity program including short- and long-term action points for Meyer Turku. More specifically, the task has been to define biodiversity and identify what legislation regarding biodiversity is relevant for Meyer Turku.

 

The biodiversity project is a one-and-a-half-year-long project consisting of three work packages (WP). WP1 focuses on the legal aspects of reporting biodiversity legislation, WP2 on the shipyard’s current biodiversity status, and WP3 aims to identify potential actions to be taken and suggestions for a biodiversity program. I work on WP1 with another doctoral student and two professors from Åbo Akademi University.

 

My work on the project is to produce a report together with the others in WP1. It aims to help the shipyard better understand what current and (to some extent) future legislation and regulations are required for it to become “the most sustainable shipyard in the world.” The European Union (EU) has adopted reporting legislation that companies must adhere to to become more environmentally sustainable. These include, for instance, the EU Taxonomy Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Meyer Turku will have to report on matters of sustainability in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) regarding, among other things, general disclosures, impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS) kick-off conference 10-11 September 2024

The newly established Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS) at Åbo Akademi University held its kick-off event from September 10 to 11, 2024, at Sibeliusmuseum and Arken. Research assistant Malla Lehtonen coordinated the event. I (Anton Eklund) volunteered to help with it with a few others.

SOS is an Åbo Akademi University Centre of Excellence, launched in 2024 and funded by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation (Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi) from 2024 to 2028. SOS provides transdisciplinary knowledge on wicked problems linked to marine biodiversity and its role in the societal transition to sustainability, focusing on the Archipelago Sea and Åland Island area. The inter- and transdisciplinary work in SOS includes environmental and marine biology, chemistry, industrial management, political science, law, and the arts. Read more on their website: Centre for Sustainable Ocean Science

The kick-off event addressed inter- and transdisciplinary research and co-creation questions, especially in the context of sustainability transitions. The program included talks, presentations, and panel discussions that brought together viewpoints from various fields. Some of the speakers included Dr. Rachel Kelly (Knowledge Broker, Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS), Australia), Risto Veivo (City of Turku), Vespa Laine (Fern Orchestra), and Katja Bonnevier (Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve).