Emilia Luoma

The green transition in maritime transport requires systemic change

The Gyroscope project, funded by the Research Council of Finland, has now been running for two years. During this time, data has been collected from literature, interviews, and workshops. Additionally, researchers have participated in numerous national and international conferences where they have presented the project and their research. Several scientific articles are also either underway or already completed.

On 25th of November 2024, we organized an online mid-term seminar. All parties who supported the Gyroscope project during the application phase were invited, including representatives from public authorities and various interest groups. The purpose of the seminar was to present what has been accomplished so far, share plans, and receive comments and questions from stakeholders. The seminar was bilingual, with researchers presenting in either English or Finnish.

The seminar began with a brief introduction to the project by Project Leader Toni Ahlqvist from the Finland Futures Research Centre at the University of Turku. Following this, at least one researcher from each of the project’s five partners gave a presentation.

The program of the seminar was as follows:

  • Janne I. Hukkinen, University of Helsinki, Environmental Policy Research Group: Sustainability transformation in maritime fuels requires a transformation of the entire energy system
  • Sami Vikkula, University of Helsinki: Cost-benefit analysis of alternative fuels in the maritime industry (working title) and completion of previous articles
  • Patrik Kauppi and Emilia Luoma, Kotka Maritime Research Centre: Towards more sustainable shipping: Examining emission reduction measures and alternative fuels
  • Sunil Basnet and Raheleh Farokhi, Aalto University: Managing risks associated with the green transition: focusing on autonomous ship technologies and winter navigation
  • Ville Lauttamäki, University of Turku, Finland Futures Research Centre: Transition or transformation? – Observations on the sustainability shift in maritime transport

The seminar delved into topics such as how the sustainability transition of maritime fuels necessitates a transformation of the entire energy system. Achieving this requires systemic change and extensive cooperation across different sectors. Furthermore, achieving a truly sustainable green transition in maritime transport calls for a holistic approach that considers both economic, social, and ecological sustainability. Further, ecological sustainability must account for a broad range of environmental impacts to avoid merely shifting the burden from one area to another.

The seminar also highlighted how reports on the sustainability transition in maritime transport tend to focus narrowly on fuel transitions while overlooking broader systemic changes. It is crucial to critically examine whether we can sustainably produce enough new fuels to meet demand and whether achieving a genuinely sustainable green transition is possible without also reducing consumption.

Stakeholder representatives provided comments and posed questions during the seminar, which sparked valuable discussions. Topics such as the risks associated with the green transition and the need for a comprehensive perspective were of particular interest.

Text: Emilia Luoma

Stakeholders’ perspectives on the sustainable development of marinas in the Gulf of Finland

A research article on the sustainable development of marinas, initiated in the 30MILES project coordinated by Kotka Maritime Research Association and funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Program and the Regional Council of Southwest Finland, was finalized in the Gyroscope project funded by the Research Council of Finland. The article has now been published in the Ocean & Coastal Management journal and has open access. In addition to researchers from the Kotka Maritime Research Association, the article’s authors include researchers from the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Environment Institute.

The starting point for the article was the assumption that making visible the different perspectives various stakeholders have on sustainable marina and on the actions needed to achieve it, can aid reaching a shared understanding and thus support the sustainable development of marinas. Individual boaters and marina operators were interviewed on how they define sustainable development and its goals within the marina context. Further, graphical, conceptual influence diagrams (CID) to visualize and structure the different ways individuals perceive the sustainability of marinas were constructed. The CID’s consist of the key variables and their causal interactions.

Based on the results of the article, the CID is a useful tool for analyzing and comparing stakeholders’ perceptions of sustainability. The method helps to identify the key variables and their potential conflicts. Furthermore, the article indicates that linguistic differences in terms of different concepts, for example, can cause misunderstandings between different people. Therefore, cooperation and co-learning among various stakeholders are necessary to create shared understanding. In addition, the three-pillar sustainability model can help interviewees widen their understanding about sustainability. Hence, we recommend its use when working with stakeholders in sustainability-related issues. Finally, the article proposes management implications that can support the sustainable development of both marinas and boating.

Text: Emilia Luoma

A Joint Statement of the Merikotka Core Research Network on the Coastal Strategy

The Ministry of the Environment requested statements from stakeholders on the new Finnish coastal strategy aimed at the year 2050. The Merikotka Core Research Network conducts interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, particularly related to maritime logistics. The development of sustainable practices in maritime logistics has a particular importance to the entire coastal region and its well-being. Since the goal of our Merikotka Core Research Network is to increase knowledge and understanding and thereby support sustainable maritime logistics, we decided to provide a joint statement on the coastal strategy focusing on maritime logistics -related topics.

The process of formulating this joint statement began with translating the coastal strategy into English so that each researcher could review it independently and provide comments. Following this, we held a meeting where we discussed all the comments and ideas together. Finally, a joint statement was compiled from the suggestions and submitted to the public statement service. The statement is public and can be found on the website of the statement service.

 

Written by: Emilia Luoma