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Antti BERGHOLM leads a production unit at steel producer Outokumpu. During the last ten years Antti has seen many different sides of business. In addition to that, he is interested in social and environmental issues. ”Climate change is a vast challenge affecting the whole human kind. We are living a new kind of an energy crisis,” he says. “I see things form the industrial point of view. But the solutions to climate change have to take into account also the broader social and international contexts. I want to encourage people to contradict their everyday choices and demand a change also from our decision makers.” |
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Timo BERRY is a prominent graphic designer, entrepreneur and father of two children. He focuses on designing company images, posters and magazine layouts. He firmly believes that climate change is the most important social issue for our generation to solve. “The solution has to fit us ordinary people and that’s exactly why we have to be a part of the making of it”, Timo says. “As a graphic designer my job is to understand and to make things understandable. I hope to be able to conceptualise, illustrate and simplify what this is all about. Maybe first to myself but hopefully to others as well.” |
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Anne-Maria FLANAGAN is a specialist in corporate responsibility and a mother of three children. Together with her husband she leads a busy family life. ”We have recently moved outside the city centre. Now we need to travel more for work every day but we are constantly figuring out ways to lead an environmentally sustainable life,” Anne-Maria says. She wants to activate also others to think critically about their everyday choices. ”I believe networking and doing things together are the best ways to make a change. My contribution to the team is my knowledge of corporate environmental responsibility and environmental challenges in different branches of business.” |
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Liisa JOKINEN is a freelance journalist, photographer and copywriter. She produces stories specialising in style, fashion and design. Her own street fashion site HEL LOOKS wants to communicate that style and sustainability can go hand in hand. ”Style doesn’t cost anything! HEL LOOKS tells how to be fashionable in a sustainable way. My other project Töölö Fashion Institute houses workshops where old clothes are recycled into new fashionable creations,” Liisa says. “I hope that this campaign can activate people to think about the ways they consume. Being ecological doesn’t only mean giving up things. It is the new luxury!” |
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Anna KORPPOO is a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs specialising in international climate politics. She has a PhD in energy politics from Imperial College London and Master in environmental politics from University of Tampere. “At the moment I’m into energy politics in Russia and Japan. During this campaign I’m hoping to learn more about the climate politics and different choices in Finland,” Anna says. Anna has been observing international climate politics since 1999. “International decisions are extremely hard to execute on a national level. I’m a political realist − if we really want to do something about climate change we’ll have to accept some radical ways to cut emissions. I hope this campaign can raise discussion about personal and corporate responsibility on this matter.” |
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Mikko LESKELÄ has a university degree in both economics and theology. His daily living comes from the technology corporation Nokia where he occupies himself with business transactions. “My work is business at its hardest but also my education in theology is of great benefit in my work: in negotiations often the best way to gain results is listening and understanding the others’ point of view,” he says. Mikko thinks his best offerings for the campaign are his experience in business world as well as his analytical skills. His interest in environmental issues has only risen recently. “We can meet the challenge of climate change only if citizens, public sector and private sector work together. I hope we can make a concrete change during this campaign.” |
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Johanna LIUKKONEN currently works as the Communications and Liaison Officer at the United Nations. She is leading the UNDP office in Helsinki. Before joining UNDP, Johanna worked at Nokia Corporation as a Manager for Government and Industry Affairs. |
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Saku MANTERE researches and teaches management at Hanken School of Economics. He has a profound understanding of organisations, how leaders think and the business’ spirit. “It is motivating to do what I feel is right. I hope that we can in this project forget about producing reports and achieve something concrete instead,” he says. His biggest personal contribution for the environment so far is using public transportation. He also tries to keep paper consumption at office in minimum. |
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Ukko METSOLA is an EU consultant who woke up to the climate change reality five years ago. He has made a long career in politics and will thus bring a great deal of expertise in political decision making. He has worked a lot with voluntary programmes for reducing CO2 emissions, and on the he’s also quite familiar with legislation based systems, as the Emission Trade Directive within the European Union. “I hope we can develop and distribute improved forms of action and new, innovative ideas. We should achieve concrete reductions in CO2 emissions by helping people to change their established ways of doing things.” |
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Hanna-Mari MÄKINEN is a corporate lawyer specialized in financial law. She holds several positions of trust in different organizations, and is especially active in the youth sector. She will bring a holistic perspective to climate change issue respecting the different angles of the actors involved – and of course her knowledge of the legal field. “I hope that individual people would see climate change as an opportunity to co-operate, to be part of the change. Equally the climate change opens up possibilities for commercial innovations and cross-sectoral co-operation. In this case knowledge is not meant to increase anxiety but to enable action.” |
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Elina MOISIO is a member of the Helsinki City Council (Green League) and Special Advisor to the Minister of Labor, active in a number of organisations and a loud spokeswoman for the urban lifestyle. She decided to join the British Council’s project because she thinks that climate change can only be stopped by working together. “The world will change only if everybody does their bit. The decision-makers must be shaken awake, too. In the mitigation of climate change, a very important role is played by city planning, housing models and transport systems, not to mention the legislative dimension with its carrots and sticks.”
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Roope MOKKA is the Development Director at the think tank Demos Helsinki. His strength is, besides the communicational skills, the deep understanding of the process of achieving social change. He is already experienced in the battle against climate change through his work, which includes an active role in the on-going campaign “Ilmastotalkoot”. “I wanted to join the Finnish team of Challenge Europe Project because I believe that the climate change issue will not be solved by the markets, politicians, or technologies, but by people. And here we are. I hope that even after the end of the campaign this network will keep on working for the emission-free goal.” |
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Ville PELTOLA works as an innovation specialist for IBM specialising in corporate innovation programmes. “My attitude towards this campaign is of an innovator: open-minded and curious about new things I can learn. I consider this also a challenge for myself personally. After all, fighting climate change is also a personal matter. ”Ville has been observing big global companies opening their eyes about climate change and environmental issues and this is often linked to new innovations. “The world is full of innovative solutions for sustainable production. I hope this campaign makes a real difference. Change requires changing some of your routines and taking risks but we have no choice if we want to prevent climate change.” |
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Johanna TASKINEN works as an expert on sustainable and energy-efficient transport systems, but is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her second child in March 2008. The climate change and reduction of the environmental burden are important issues for her, both at work and at home. Her field of expertise is developing the car centered transport system in a more sustainable and environment-friendly direction. She hopes that during this campaign the Advocates could advance the development of the low carbon course of action and services both within the public sector and the business world. Instead of contributing to the long line of statements she would like to set the Advocates’ aim at concrete action and creating new kinds of services. “It is possible for normal middle class people to reduce the CO2 emissions without compromising their standards of living. It is not as miserable as many think, on the opposite – it might even improve their quality of life!” |
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John WEBSTER is an independent film maker who has been producing and directing documentaries since 1990. He is also experienced in radio work. Both of his parents are British, but John was born in Finland and has lived here all his life. He has got two young sons. As a film maker he is forced to think about how to transmit ideas through sound and picture, and how to engage people’s emotions. Even the most complicated message must be made comprehensible. John’s documentary film on the climate change will be released this autumn. |
The Advocates 2008-09 
