In memoriam of Lennart Gladh

CCB • March 4, 2021

We have lost a very good friend, true nature lover and defender of our shared environment.

Lennart Gladh… “a biologist who likes fly fishing and clean water as well as living in the country-side among cows and cornfields” as he described himself in Twitter… Lennart was very humble person with certainly wider range of interests and real passion to nature around.

During last two years, Lennart was courageously fighting cancer that struck again hard in early 2021…

Lennart Gladh will be strongly missed by many people in CCB’s network and our hearts and souls are with his family and friends during these days…

Rest in peace, friend, and let Mother Nature heal and care about you, as you did to her…

Jointly with WWF and SLU we have created the ‘In memoriam’ board, where anyone can contribute: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/wTW4Z2Qe

“We met Lennart in Latvia during our cooperation on Baltic Sea issues together with WWF Latvia. Lennart’s international experience and competence and a strong direct position on the real essence of things were useful in our work on water protection issues in Latvia. Our contacts with him continued during our experience exchange visit to Sweden on dam removal project in 2018, where we got to know Lennart as a nature enthusiast and always a curious person, willing to explore and to know things more deeply. This cooperation lasted until just a week ago, and unfortunately, our communication about river dams will remain unanswered…  Dear Lennart, let sailing wind take and lead you in your eternal journey…”
(Aija Caune, Latvia)

“With great regret I received the news of the death of Lennart. For several years, I had the pleasure of working with him on the CCB’s Board where he represented the WWF Sweden. You could always count on his balanced and always accurate view of the matter. He proved to be a very open-minded and knowledgeable person, very cheerful and pleasant. Lennart’s death is an irreparable loss to the CCB’s community, but also for the Baltic Sea natural environment, of which he was a tireless defender and advocate. I will miss his great professionalism, good and wise advice, peace and sincere dedication to the cause – protection of the Baltic Sea, which he loved so much, and for which he devoted many years of his life. He was just a good man.”
(Jakub Skorupski, Poland)

“Trying to solve environmental problems from the office, with often poor knowledge about the actual field locations, has become increasingly mainstream over years. Not so with Lennart. He was always on the spot, had an impressive familiarity with a profusion of sites scattered all over the Baltic Sea region, knew the specific peculiarities, the acting people and the local ecology. Lennart’s goals were working solutions – results that would last for ages, not just for a project lifetime. Working for these solutions needed a very strong will and stamina, paired by his excellent expertise on conservation ecology and successful implementation of measures”
(Jörg Schmiedel, Germany).

“I cherished Lennart’s opinion and his very down to earth approach to focusing on real actions for the environment. He was a bit akin to Voltairs Candide as in “ok that talk is all fine, but now time to tend our environment”. The importance and love of the sauna is something I will always connect to Lennart”
(Nils Höglund, Sweden)

“I got to know Lennart since 1997, while working together for integrated coastal zone management of Vistula and Curonian Lagoons. Then we met several times when he was coordinating preparation of Nature Conservation Plan for Kaliningrad Region, explored Nemunas Delta, its wetlands, floodplains and polders… in a while, we have re-connected at HELCOM meetings, where he represented WWF… and couple of years later our routes have crossed again in CCB… He kept on being very impatient to slow and toothless efforts of environmental governance in the Baltic Sea Region and was very straightforward in criticizing authorities and industries, especially hydropower and agriculture, as avoiding painful, but needed actions to save the Baltic. He was true Baltic Warrior – strong and stubborn as a Viking, respecting and caring the nature around, enjoying and nurturing its wilderness and beauty, eager to learn and share his vast experience…”
(Mikhail Durkin, Russia)

“Lennart was working for many years with WWF, but also closely involved with CCB the last 5-7 years, e.g. as member of the CCB Board and as Senior advisor to CCB. I will miss his wide competence and knowledge on river management and fisheries management. His death is a great loss for the Baltic Environmental NGO community and for our project work on Free rivers. I always enjoyed his company, exchange of ideas, discussions, his support, laugh and frankness.”
(Gunnar Norén, Sweden).

Coalition Clean Baltic family

Petition launched to stop new oil and gas drilling in the Baltic Sea

By CCB • October 3, 2025
3 October 2025 - Coalition Clean Baltic, together with its Member Organization BUND - Friends of the Earth Germany and the citizens’ initiative “ Lebensraum Vorpommern ”, have launched a petition to stop new oil and gas drilling projects in the Baltic Sea . The petition comes in response to plans to exploit a deposit just 6 km offshore Świnoujście , Poland, in the transboundary waters of the Oder Estuary and Pomeranian Bay. The planned site lies at the heart of NATURA 2000 protected areas , which are vital for biodiversity, climate action, and local communities. Oil and gas extraction in the Baltic Sea poses severe threats to its fragile ecosystems. Industrial activities such as drilling, pipeline construction, and ship traffic risk polluting the water with chemicals, oil leaks, and toxic waste. Underwater noise from pile driving and increased traffic would further degrade marine habitats. These pressures add to the already critical challenges faced by the Baltic Sea, including biodiversity loss, eutrophication, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. The consequences extend far beyond nature. Local communities rely on a clean and healthy Baltic for tourism, fishing, and quality of life. Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure would also undermine Europe’s climate commitments and lock in carbon emissions for decades to come. The petition calls on the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland, the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the European Commission, and the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention to : Stop the plans for oil and gas extraction in the Oder Estuary and the Pomeranian Bay; Ban any new oil and gas extraction across the Baltic Sea; Ensure strong cross-border cooperation and communication amongst all involved states. The petition is open through the WeMove Europe´s platform and can be signed here .

(Closed) Job vacancy: Coalition Campaign Manager - Common Fisheries Policy

By CCB • October 1, 2025
Job Title: Coalition Campaign Manager - Common Fisheries Policy Position type : Full-time consultancy contract. Open to part-time arrangements initially if needed. Contract duration: Short-term contract until end of March 2026, with possibility of extension subject to funding availability Reports to: Steering Committee Location : Flexible(remote/home office) with regular travel. Working in Brussels is of advantage. Starting date : ASAP In close cooperation with the Steering Group of the coalition, lead, plan, coordinate, and support the campaign of an NGO network working together towards the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the evaluation thereof. The campaign manager's responsibility is to develop and ensure the successful and timely delivery of political advocacy and public engagement activities of the campaign, both at EU and Member State level. Job description Strategy & Planning Develop and implement short-, and long-term campaign strategies aligned with coalition objectives, in close cooperation with the Steering Group. Set clear goals, timelines, and performance indicators for the campaign and ensure timely delivery thereof. Analyse policy development, political climate, media and public opinion, and stakeholder landscapes to inform tactics. Campaign Delivery Manage day-to-day execution of the campaign activities at Brussels and Member State level. Coordinate coalition partners and ensure communication between Steering Group and coalition members, as well as relevant groups/coalitions/experts and other stakeholders outside the coalition. Advise coalition members on strategic delivery of advocacy activities at all levels, including Member State level. Join Steering Group meetings in an advisory capacity. Report back to the Steering Group on the delivery of the campaign's activities, meeting of targets and milestones, and report back on activities, budget and impact. Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, key stakeholders, and allies to support campaign aims. Analyse opportunities of engagement, advise on policy language. Organise/coordinate/prepare and support relevant activities, including events, briefings, and advocacy activities in close cooperation with coalition members. Ensure relevant knowledge management and information flow within the coalition and across partner organisations. Liaise with communication experts on message framing, strategy and timelines. Management Support CCB administrative and finance staff managing grants to coalition partners. Ensure coalition partners receive information and materials that enable them to effectively contribute to achieving campaign goals (political information, policy briefings, templates, policy language, opportunity analyses). Support fundraising efforts as needed/requested by the Steering Group. Lead on funders narrative reporting. Qualifications & Skills required The consultant must be legally authorised to provide services and work as a consultant within the EU, based in an EU Member State. Fisheries and ocean expertise (preferred), or other environmental background. Degree (or equivalent experience) in communications/campaign management, political science, resource management, fisheries, or related field. Proven track record in designing and delivering successful advocacy or public campaigns at EU or Member State levels involving a larger coalition. Strong understanding of political processes at EU level and Member State levels, media landscapes, and public engagement. Excellent project management and organisational skills. Skilled communicator and coordinator, able to craft persuasive messages and engage a larger network into a common goal within tight deadlines. Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Fluency in English is required; additional EU languages are a plus. Application Should you be interested in applying for this assignment, please send your CV (max. 2 pages) together with a personal letter (max. 1 page) before 9 October 2025 , COB, to secretariat@ccb.se Please include your consultancy rate in your application inclusive VAT (if applicable). Applications should be submitted in English. Incomplete applications (e.g. lacking either CV or personal letter) will not be considered . Any inquiries related to this assignment should be forwarded to the above email or to CCB Executive Secretary Mikhail Durkin at mikhail.durkin@ccb.se and +46 739 770 793. In the application and hiring process, CCB will not discriminate against any individual based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, national or social origin, property, disability, age, family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, economic and social situation. .