Professor emeritus Markku Ollikainen from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, is awarded by the Baltic Sea Fund Supervisory Board for his work on cost-effective protection measures for the Baltic Sea and for his commitment to Finnish climate policy.
Ollikainen, as chair of the Finnish Climate Panel, has been very active in raising the climate issue in Finnish politics. As a professor of environmental economics, Ollikainen has emphasized cost-effectiveness when dedining on protection measures, as an example gypsum treatmet of arable land to reduce the phosphorus load from agriculture. He is also chair of the Baltic Sea Panel, founded by the cities of Helsinki and Turku, as one of the measures within the Baltic Sea Challenge. Ollikainen is an active voice in the public debate on Baltic Sea and climate issues.
The prize is 15,000 euros.
The Baltic Sea Fund was founded in 1989 through a private donation. The fund awards forerunners in the work for the Baltic Sea through its annual Baltic Sea Award. In total, approximately 950,000 euros has been awarded to 98 individuals and organisations over the years.