Communication of environmental issues

1
Communication of environmental issues

• Press and information services of the Finnish
  environment institute (SYKE)

February 12th, 2003. Marika Palosaari, Finnish
Environment Institute
2
SYKE in the Finnish Environmental Administration
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of the Environment
Finnish Environment Institute
Environmental Permit Authorities
Regional Environment Centres
supervision of use and management of water
resources
overall supervision
3
Finnish Environment Institute

• research and development centre
• established on 1st March 1995
• appr. 600 employees
• 400 with a university degree
• provides information on the state of the
  environment and its development, as well as
  factors affecting it

4
Management Board
Director General
International Consulting
Press and Information
Directors Office
Laboratory
Research Department
Administrative Department
Data and Information Centre
Department for Expert Services
5
Press and information services division

• established in 1999
• 7,5 employees, Web services 7 employees
  alltogether with the Ministry of Environment
• internal and external communication
• improving the employees capability to
  communicate is supported by the Training division
• works in close co-operation with the management
  board and the departments

6
Internal communication in SYKE

• Intranet, weekly newsletter SYKEWeek, DGs
  coffee hour and SYKE News for the personnel
• To motivate and inform the employees the
  objectives and results of SYKEs work
• Ensure free flow of information
• To support the co-operation and interaction
  between employees and departments
• To improve the working atmosphere

7
External communication of SYKE in 2002

• To serve citizens right to get information
• To make citizens familiar with the services and
  activities of the environmental administration
• To progress citizens awareness of environmental
  problems and ways to solve them
• To integrate environmental issues to all
  activities of the society
• To improve citizens ability to improve local
  environmental conditions

8
Press and information services 1996-2002
press conferences
press releases
9
Customers

• Ministries (Environment, Agriculture and
  Forestry)
• Regional Environment Centres
• Universities
• Other research and expert institutions
• Other authorities
• Industry and commerce
• Municipalities
• Media
• Organizations and citizens

10
The most popular topics in media in 2002

• Algae level (eutrophication) and water quality
• The Gulf of Finland
• Shortage of water
• Nature meadows and natural pastures, birds, moss
• Prevention of oil pollution/fighting oil spills
• Environmental crimes
• Harmful and toxic substances

11
Channels of communication

• Press releases and conferences ? newspapers
  (editorials!), TV, radio
• Web-services
• SYKE News Custom made news and the
  Environment magazine
• Personal contacts to journalists
• Seminars and unofficial meetings with customers
  and journalists
• Contacts to international networks of experts
  (e.g.Helcom)

12
Challenges for the communication

• On-line world experts have to be available all
  the time
• How to make the expert knowledge understandable
  for the public
• Internationality communication still
  concentrated in Finland
• How to develop the web-services
• Increasing visuality of communication (e.g. an
  archive of photos and maps in the web would be
  useful)
• Communication during crisis situations (e.g. oil
  spills)

13
What can be achieved by communication?

• improved flow of information
• more effective co-operation
• better results and innovations
• raised awareness of environmental issues
• better environment

14
WWW service www.environment.fi/syke