Accenture partnered with John Nurminen Foundation to accelerate reed-based business activities

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Nea Olsson
Accenture
nea.olsson@accenture.com

As part of Accenture’s commitment to responsibility, they are actively seeking innovative ideas to collaborate with nonprofit organizations to tackle challenges shaping the future of people and planet. The joint project was initially proposed as part of their corporate citizenship program.

Emma Puotunen, Strategy Manager at Accenture, explains: “The Baltic Sea is close to my heart, as I have spent all my summers by its shores. Its deteriorating condition is alarming, and I wanted to see if we could help in protecting it.”

The Baltic Sea is facing severe nutrient pollution, primarily from phosphorus, leading to damaging algae blooms and ecosystem degradation. One side effect is the overgrowth of reed, which thrive in nutrient-rich waters and further disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem. The Baltic Reed program, led by the Foundation, is trying to turn the overgrowth into a solution, as reed absorbs nutrients from the water as it grows.

“This is very innovative idea, and we were excited to support the Foundation in exploring how reed harvesting could be accelerated to reduce phosphorus levels while creating sustainable, commercially viable businesses around it. This is a great initiative showing how environmental challenges could be turned into opportunities”, clarifies Emma Puotunen.

John Nurminen Foundation was thrilled for the opportunity for collaboration: “As our foundation’s main area of expertise is the state and ecology of the Baltic Sea, we saw this as a great opportunity to utilize Accenture’s wide capabilities to analyze the reed based value chains and related business opportunities” states Sonja Jaari, Project Manager at John Nurminen Foundation

Value chain analysis and roadmap as the project outcome

During the project Accenture conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews, analysed current challenges in the reed-based value chains, and explored existing and new solutions. This led to the development of a holistic, operational roadmap to scale reed harvesting, focusing on increased efficiencies and developing partnerships for funding and innovation.

This initiative helps clean the Baltic Sea while creating a sustainable local economy. The project not only helps restore the ecosystem but also opens new revenue opportunities, positioning reed as a renewable resource that benefits both the environment and business.

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