Representatives from Estonia and Finland have signed a Green Corridor Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assure and expedite the development of marine green corridor between Helsinki and Tallinn.
This Green Corridor is a shipping route as well as an umbrella for many projects at sea and on land in Helsinki and Tallinn that aim to reduce emissions and encourage the adoption of zero or near-zero emission solutions.
The goal is to achieve the desired goals sooner than the parties have openly stated.
This MoU was signed by the cities and ports of Helsinki and Tallinn, Rederi AB Eckerö, Tallink Grupp and Viking Line, the Estonian Ministry of Climate, and the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications.
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The purpose of this Green Corridor is to speed the transition to a carbon-neutral and sustainable customer experience for both people and freight on the Helsinki-Tallinn and Muuga-Vuosaari maritime routes.
This implies that shipping companies, cities, and ports will have common roadmaps with founding – and other partners – to help them achieve zero-emission goals.
Each roadmap will include specific milestones that must be completed while considering priorities and available funding.
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Ville Haapasaari, CEO, Port of Helsinki, said: “It is important that the connection between Helsinki and Tallinn is environmentally even more sustainable in the future.
“More than the mandatory steps need to be taken to ensure that. It is vital that all major players participate in this activity, so this is a day of great importance and a turning point for working together with all partners in favour of climate and nature.”
Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, stated: “Cooperation between Helsinki and Tallinn has been seamless in recent years. For both capitals, the themes of Baltic Sea protection and sustainability have become increasingly important, and we want to take tangible steps to improve these things together.
“Cooperation with the ports is very welcome and shows the level of our ambition. I believe that this cooperation will enable us to implement actions that have a positive impact on the climate and the Baltic Sea.”
