Presentation “Biodiversity and Climate Change in the Baltic Sea” by Rüdiger Strempel, HELCOM, at the 34th BSPC Conference 2025 in Mariehamn

Biodiversity and Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, Mariehamn, Åland, 25 August 2025 Rüdiger Strempel, HELCOMCatchment area: 4x area of the seaPopulation (catchment): 85 millionBusy waterway: on average ~1500 ships at any time Unique but young and fragile ecosystemThe Baltic SeaMultitude of pressures affecting the BalticAbout HELCOM▴ Signing of the Helsinki Convention in 19742024: HELCOM celebrates 50th anniversary1974: The Helsinki Convention signed by 7 Contracting Parties1980: HELCOM Secretariat established1992: 10 Contracting Parties DE, DK , EE, EU, FI, LT, LV, PL, SE, RUHELCOM structureThe HELCOM vision“A healthy Baltic Sea environment with diverse biological components functioning in balance, resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of sustainable economic and social activities.”H E L C O M c a r r i e s o u t holistic assessments every six years to keep track on how well the measures are functioning.The t h i r d H E L C O M h o l i s t i c assessment (HOLAS 3) focuses on the years 2016-2021.The State of the Baltic Sea (October, 2023) is synthesis report based on a wide range of assessment products produced within HOLAS 3. State of the Baltic Sea 2023 Third HELCOM holistic assessment 2016-2021 (HOLAS)Status of biodiversity: 3rd Baltic Sea holistic assessmentStatus of biodiversity: 2024 Baltic Sea Red ListsClimate change effects on the Baltic Sea are manifold2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP)BSAP implementation... individual target years for their implementation, with the last actions to be implemented by 2030 at the latest... been assigned to one or several HELCOM bodies for monitoring, guiding and/or contributing to their implementation ... specific criteria by which their achievement will be measured All 199 BSAP actions have...Implementation trackingProgress: HELCOM Explorer (First reporting of 2021 BSAP taking place in 2025)Effects: —HELCOM monitoring —HELCOM indicators —HELCOM assessmentsImproving biodiversity through BSAP implementationBSAP biodiversity and climate •35 biodiversity actions •5 climate change actions •concrete measurable targets, regionally agreed •to be implemented by 2030 at the latestThank you for your attention!