In the SCC work, Agnieszka Ilola has been focusing on various aspects of sustainability, in particular integrated urban water management, Baltic Sea and marine environment protection, climate change adaptation, resource efficiency and green growth. She is originally from Poland and holds an M.A. Degree in Environment Protection and Management from University of Warmia and Mazury, Poland.

In her latest assignment, Ilola was leading the BSR WATER platform project funded by the Interreg BSR Programme focusing on increased cross-sectoral cooperation in sustainable water management in the Baltic Sea Region and development of policy recommendations for proper management of stormwaters, hazardous substances and nutrient recycling. Knowledge and experiences exchange, capacity development and combining research and practice-oriented results into policy messages have been essential parts of the platform work.

The new Head of Secretariat sees the opportunities for further intensification of the Baltic Sea Region cooperation along with the increasing role of UBC in the global context:

“UBC and its commissions have been successfully participating in important policy development forums highlighting urban dimension of EU policies and this direction will continue in the future. With the new Strategy 2030 and UBC Sustainability Action Programme 2022 – 2030 we aim to strengthen the bottom-up approach and our involvement in developing and implementing European and regional policy”.