The New Hansa of Sustainable Ports and Cities has been a joint project of 18 ports, cities and other partners from all sides of the Baltic Sea. The project has aimed at ecologically, socially and economically sustainable ports in the Baltic Sea region.

The Baltic Sea has become almost an inside sea of the European Union – sea transport is increasing and trade is growing. Port cities should be able to respond to the needs of ports and shipping lines on one hand and to take care of city’s living environment on the other. All port cities are dealing with similar challenges of balancing between the different interests. None of them can effectively solve the problems alone, however. This is why New Hansa of Sustainable Ports and Cities has aimed at increased co-operation.

During the project, good environmental solutions have been analysed and common practices for ports in prevention of ships’ emissions to the air and receiving and handling waste and waste water from the ships, have been created. As the result of the project, the Baltic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sustainable Ports has now bee produced.

The New Hansa of Sustainable Ports and Cities project is part of the UBC Agenda 21 Action Programme 2004-2009 - Roadmap for Sustainable Baltic Cities.