We need a blue economy based on healthy and sustainable oceans. But the oceans receive eight million tons of plastic annually. An invasion that had to be backed off after the first UN High Seas Treaty. A celebration we will be celebrating until June 8 for World Oceans Day, whose motto this year is “Currents are changing”. Currents that seem to speak language Business sustainability and the blue economy.
But this year’s World Cup for the Environment on June 5 was dedicated to the #SinContaminaciónPorPlásticos campaign. An enormous and global task that also affects life underwater.
Oceans produce more than 50% of our planet’s oxygen and absorb 30% of human carbon dioxide. And yet we drown them in plastic. henceforth, He Global Ocean Treaty By 2030, 30% of oceans will be monitored after an agreement reached by 200 countries to protect their biodiversity, up from just 8% previously.
Oceans cover more than 70% of the planet and are home to most of Earth’s biodiversity. In addition, it is an important source of protein for more than a billion people worldwide and is vital to our economy. It is estimated that 40 million people will work in the oceans by 2030.
Join us in this article to discover the keys to the blue economy and some examples of innovation already underway Stability over oceans.
1. Leading the Blue Economy
The blue economy recognizes seas and oceans as cornerstones of the economy. Not only does it address the exploitation of the maritime sector, it also highlights its sustainable impact on the economy, society and environment (ESG criteria).
Deterioration in the health of the oceans and increases in marine pollution and littering must not continue. For this reason, The UN Global Compact calls on all organizations, regardless of whether or not they participate in the maritime sector, to adopt them. Principles for a stable ocean.
Blue economy is a business opportunity for companies. For that to happen, critical improvements in ocean health are needed. So companies can contribute to improving this health, we have created Seven practical guides to caring for the oceansThere is a sectorial approach to that (Aquaculture, Oil & Gas, Marine Renewables, Seaweed, Fishing, Shipyards & Shipping).
The future of our planet depends on how the blue economy evolves. An economy that to this day presents risks such as overfishing and illegal fishing, pollution and lack of data. A process cannot be transformed without the expansion of finance, governance structures and innovation in strategies related to the 2030 Agenda. You read Healthy and Sustainable Oceans: Opportunities for Business in the Blue Economy?
2. Currents of sustainable innovation in the oceans
Los go!SDG Awards Rewards innovative efforts in the Sustainable Development Goals. Some of the awards that highlight initiatives designed to create a positive impact on our oceans include:
- Chatlink, winner of the third edition, thanks to a clever buoy that prevents overfishing of young tuna. An unprecedented float and it displays species information on a large spatial and temporal scale. Thanks to this information, anglers can avoid overfished species and justify fishing.
- Boundary 4 is blueWinner of the second edition to create a non-polluting marine transport system with a rigid sail system that uses wind to propel ships and saves 40% of the impact on seas and oceans.
- orbitsThe winner of the first edition thanks to the marine pollution detection system, the evolution of marine ecosystems or the resilience of the coast.
Do you have an innovative project based on sustainability? Nominations by October 17, 2023 IV authorizations go!ODS
3. Plastic in sight!
Did you know that more than 200 kg of garbage is thrown into the ocean every second? pointed out Green peace, We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg: only 15% of plastic is on the surface. Visually plastic! Currently, there are 5 garbage islands: two in the Pacific, two in the Atlantic and one in the Indian Ocean.
In Spain, 30 million cans and bottles are thrown away every day, and half of the plastics end up in landfills without being recycled. Did you know that the fishing line used by Columbus when he arrived in America is now in ruins? Imagine how long it would take to make one today.
An ambitious work agenda is changing, reflecting both sustainable trends and the regulatory tsunami sweeping through the business landscape. In the field of plastics, for example, the Act on Waste and Contaminated Soil for a Circular Economy or the Royal Decree on Packaging and Packaging Waste were set before and after the purification of plastics. We reject 14% more than in 1995, which is why it is important to develop effective and efficient processes. The future of the waste recycling and reuse industry.
3.1 A wave of commercial initiatives against plastics
Many companies understand the value of plastic-free oceans to our planet. For this reason, we wanted to highlight his dedication SDG 14 Life Underwater and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production:
- Coca-Cola’s Round SeasA holistic program that cleans up marine and aquatic environments, raises public awareness and promotes circular solutions.
- Redes Vivas, from Abanca, an effort to collect plastic waste from the sea with nets and give it a second life. In addition, this includes the recovery of fishing equipment and recycling for placement on courts and sports fields.
- By Repescablas, Aimblas, the graph of litter density is defined. Collected, collected and created commercialization The project itself.
- H2O by Alain AflelowWith that they use 5 recycled plastic bottles to make glasses from the oceans and give it a second life.
Want to know more examples? Access our site now Good business practicesFind out what companies are doing about the blue economy and speak the language of business sustainability.
