Along with the climate
crisis,
our destructive food
system
and other complex, systemic issues facing threatening our longevity on this
planet, the health and sustainability of the ocean and everything it provides
has become top of mind in recent years — thanks to growing
corporate
and
governmental
mobilization around rescuing this precious resource from our historically
exploitative relationship to it.
From endangering fish and other marine life with
plastic
and other pollution, to killing coral reefs with
chemicals
and higher
temperatures,
to overfishing the world’s seafood stocks — the public and private sector are
now finally woke to the need to reverse the damage done and protect and preserve
the oceans going forward; for our sake, as well as theirs.
“There is an absolute urgency to get moving,” exhorts Katherine Bryar — Head
of Global Branding and Communications at sustainable aquafeed giant
BioMar and speaker of the upcoming Sustainable Brands
Oceans (14-16 November) in
Porto, Portugal.
The planet is warming up and the oceans can form a vital part of the solution to
reduce the rise in temperature. The key finding of the scientific report, The
Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change: 5 Opportunities for
Action,
published at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York on 23
September, was that ocean-based climate action could deliver up to 21 percent of
the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cuts needed in 2050 to limit global
temperature rise to 1.5°C.
OK, Now What?: Navigating Corporate Sustainability After the US Presidential Election
Join us for a free webinar on Monday, December 9, at 1pm ET as Andrew Winston and leaders from the American Sustainable Business Council, Democracy Forward, ECOS and Guardian US share insights into how the shifting political and cultural environment may redefine the responsibilities and opportunities for companies committed to sustainability.
To maximise this opportunity, industry executives, oceans experts and NGOs
gathering at SB Oceans will be asked: How can we enable oceans to be part of the
solution and not part of the problem? How do we restore abundance to the oceans
by 2050?
Consider, for example, the need for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Recommendations from the IUCN’s 2014 World Parks Congress and 2016 World
Conservation Congress called for 30 percent of oceans to be protected by MPAs by
2030. Bryar says that business and NGOs working together can move much faster
than governments. A session on Thursday 14th November, the first day of SB
Oceans, a panel will discuss a case study on how Greenpeace — along with
Biomar, retailers including Tesco and krill supplier Aker BioMarine —
worked together to create
MPAs,
ensuring there remains enough krill for penguins and whales in Antarctica,
in as little as six months.
“When everyone’s objective is sustainability, it’s easy to come to the right
decision,” Bryar asserts.
Also on Thursday, a plenary session on digitalisation will showcase a number of
transparency and traceability
tools
that verify how fish has been sourced sustainably. This will be expanded on on
Friday in a case study with IBM Food Trust, BioMar and Norwegian salmon
farmer Kvarøy, explaining how this blockchain
technology
works in real life.
It’s all about looking for smart answers. Did you know that growing macroalgae
(aka seaweed) in the ocean can simultaneously provide aquaculture feed and food
for people, while absorbing greenhouse gases and cleaning the ocean? Or that
moving aquaculture farming onto land or offshore allows us to use space more
efficiently and can be less impactful to the environment?
The event will provide up-to-the-minute insights on how to get involved in ocean
conservation, for everyone — not just those from the fishing and food
industries. To this point, Bryar relates the power of cross-sector inspiration:
“We would never have imagined being inspired by BASF, from the chemical
industry; but at a previous Sustainable Brands event, we saw a technical example
which we were able to adopt for aquaculture feed. Raw material sourcing is not
only for fish food, and we know manufactured goods companies are watching this
space with excitement to learn how to improve the traceability of their raw
materials.”
A panel discussion on Saturday morning with BioMar, IKEA, the Marine
Stewardship Council and trout farmer Pirinea will consider how retailers
and consumers can lead ocean conservation; Bryar says that, with more and more
consumers choosing sustainable seafood, the panel will discuss how retailer
policy
and
certifications
affect consumer choice.
“The beauty of SB Oceans is the opportunity to take time to solve the problems
together. We look forward to working day and night on ocean conservation through
business solutions. No more talking — now is the time for action,” Bryar says.
“Come, be inspired, and find your community of like-minded,
sustainability-driven people.”
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Published Nov 4, 2019 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET