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Every day, we hear more about the forever chemicals called PFAS in the media. The news often deal with novel research showing the harm PFAS can cause to human health. In medical research, reduced immune system, diminished response to vaccines especially in children, increased cancer risk and blood pressure, decreased fertility already have been connected to PFAS exposure – and the publication of the results often makes headlines.

The SUMPs for BSR project has opened a second call for the SUMP Clinic – a free, tailored support for your city — and continues its free—of—charge five-module SUMP Training Programme. With a few Clinic slots still available, now is the perfect moment for cities to join and accelerate their transition toward more sustainable transport systems.

On 14 January 2026, the Training Programme, organised by SUMPs for BSR project, officially launched with the first webinar of a five-module webinar-and-workshop series dedicated to Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP). The programme is organised by the SUMPs for BSR project, co-funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

The opening conference day felt less like a conclusion and more like a preview of what lies ahead for the Baltic Sea Region. From the outset, speakers made it clear that circularity is no longer a distant ambition but an active practice. Cities like Turku – the event host aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029 – demonstrated how circular solutions are already being tested in real-life environments, spanning construction, food systems and water cycles.

Neighbourhoods as living laboratories Halinen and Jyrkkälä are ordinary, lived-in suburbs where forests, courtyards and riverbanks are part of daily routines. Before choosing any pilot sites, Turku carried out ecological mapping and resident surveys to understand existing habitats, how people use them and where realistic opportunities for biodiversity improvements exist.

The conference “The Future of Water in the Changing World: Innovative solutions against PFAS and micropollutants” was organized by two sister projects, EMPEREST and APRIORA, marking the successful ending of EMPEREST, while APRIORA continues its work for another year. Both projects stem from EU legislation change, namely the revision of the directive regulating urban wastewater treatment.

How do cities know if their mobility plans really work? On 7 October, the UBC Sustainable Cities Commission and the Interreg Baltic Sea Region SUMPs for BSR project brought this question to centre stage in a UBC TALKS webinar. The discussion focused on Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) as a hands-on tool—helping cities measure progress, engage people, and move faster toward sustainable mobility.

On 1–3 October 2025, over 70 urban leaders, climate experts, and changemakers gathered in Malmö, Sweden, for the annual Union of the Baltic Cities Sustainable Cities Commission meeting. Under the theme “Creating Climate-Proof and Nature-Positive Cities Together,” the event became a powerful platform for cities across the Baltic Sea Region to collaborate on urgent environmental challenges – and the solutions needed to meet them.

Our UBC Sustainable Cities Commission teamed up with the Turku University of Applied Sciences in organising a joint session, building on the research, piloting and data findings within the EMPEREST and NonHazCity3 projects. The objective of the panel was to explore how the harmful effects of hazardous substances on nature, people, and the circular economy can be minimized.

We are happy to announce that the 2025 disclosure cycle of the CDP-ICLEI Track is opening tomorrow on June 18!

The Urban Biodiversity Parks project pilots the concept of a biodiversity park as a tool for urban ecological restoration and regeneration. The aim is to establish a 20-hectare biodiversity park that provides a platform for testing various nature management activities, focusing on local species and habitats, while also serving as a space for community engagement and experiential learning.

Due to climate change, extreme weather events like droughts, heavy rainfall, and heatwaves are becoming more frequent across the Baltic Sea Region. As these impacts intensify, cities face growing pressure to adapt and prepare. In response, the city of Turku is strengthening its climate resilience through the RESIST project.