Just before Christmas, Sonera donated €9,000, equalling the profits from its autumn marketing auction, to the John Nurminen Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects. Sonera participated in the Nordic Business Forum environmental seminar, organised in Jyväskylä during the last week of September. The iPhones were auctioned off to seminar participants on 30 September. Al Gore, former Vice President of the USA, was the star guest speaker at the seminar that dealt with the themes of corporate responsibility and environmentally responsible business operations. Tanja Piha, Head of B2B Business Management at TeliaSonera Finland and the person behind the auction, explains that the idea was inspired by Al Gore, the keynote speaker of the seminar and a member of Apple’s Board of Directors. The auction was an example of Sonera’s cooperation with the Nordic Business Forum, and all its profits were donated to the John Nurminen Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects. The auctioned phones consisted of iPhones that had been returned by customers.

‘We certainly have use for Sonera’s donation. We continue our work to prevent the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, and the donated sum will be used in water treatment projects in the states of the Baltic Sea’s catchment area, including North-West Russia, the Baltic countries, and Poland. So far, our largest project, and also the one with the greatest impact, has been the renovation of the St. Petersburg water treatment plants, where we have achieved significant improvements in the phosphorus loads of the Baltic Sea’, says Erik Båsk, Secretary General of the John Nurminen Foundation.