Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation

Tor Nessling was one of the pioneers of the Finnish motor industry. Until his death in 1971 he served as managing director and chairman of the board of Oy Suomen Autoteollisuus Ab (Finnish Motors Ltd.). With no children of their own, Tor Nessling and his wife Greta Maj wished that their estate should be used in the promotion of Finnish science and culture. The charter establishing the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation was signed by Greta Maj Nessling in July 1972 and the Foundation began its work of furthering environmental protection in 1976.

Mission

To support scientific research in all areas of environmental protection.

Programme Areas

The foundation is active in the following areas:
• Research
• Environmental symposia

Research
Distributes grants and awards and extends other forms of recognition to scientific research in all areas of environmental protection. Mainly gives support to research focusing on local environmental problems (Finland and its nearby countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). The research areas supported are:
• Air pollutants, composition and behaviour, monitoring and evaluation of climate change
• Water environment structure, functioning and diversity of ecosystems, and the impact of environmental loading
• Soil ecosystems and groundwater
• Environmental technology
• Environmental social science
In addition, the foundatiion disseminates these research findings and produces publications on these themes.
Environmental symposia
Organises symposia on current environmental problems and the search for solutions. The goal of these symposia is to make known current environmental research being carried out in Finland and elsewhere in the world. Finnish researchers and leading international figures are invited as lecturers. The symposia provide a forum for discussion for researchers, students and government
officials and seek to heighten the awareness of the general public about environmental research.