Welcome to our March Newsletter!
As always, there is so much going on in the oceans and blue economy – below are a few key highlights.
From Egypt to Montreal to Panama to New York – Momentum Builds:
Recent COPs and conferences have generated a steady stream of ocean commitments, agreements and action. While there’s inevitably commentary that we’re not moving fast enough, the string of accomplishments is impressive and hard-won, and taken together feel like a foundation that will facilitate and accelerate further gains.
Most recently, following the landmark COP 15 agreement reached in Montreal to “halt and reverse” biodiversity loss by 2030, the High Seas Treaty (HST) agreement at the UN took center stage. We share the enthusiasm of many for this remarkable achievement, while remaining aware that much needs to be done to successfully achieve its vision.
A few informative HST reads:
IPCC Report – Uh-oh, But Let’s Go!:
The headlines from last week’s IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report were perhaps predictably dire, but it should be noted that the report also provides pathways forward to address our most pressing challenges. This could be the IPCC’s last report until 2030 so it carries special significance.
The core message is that we’re running out of time and need to change our mindset, a call to action punctuated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “ This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once .”
- While you’re in line for coffee, have a look at UNEP FI’s David Carlin’s distillation of 8,000 pages into 10 key takeaways
- Good report overview from the Guardian, including some helpful background links
- Insightful commentary on the report, with a focus on interdisciplinary linkages
As we send this newsletter, an impressive group of ocean stewards is convening at Monaco Ocean Week - looking forward to hearing more news!
Connecting the Dots – Part II:
In January we wrote about the power of connecting ocean-related dots across disciplines. We suggested 5 pairs across different disciplines that we thought merited attention, and invited our community to suggest others.
We were excited to see engagement with this piece, with some fantastic ideas for more connections to be made. One of our favorites suggestions, from Belinda Bramley, is Our Health and Ocean Health. Please keep the ideas coming!
Another Unique Experiential Opportunity – Great White Sharks!:
In our previous two newsletters we featured John Englander’s expedition to Greenland to see climate change up close, followed by Only One’s journey to Raja Ampat with Emmy Award-winning marine conservationist Shawn Heinrichs.
This month, we’re delighted to highlight a special opportunity to dive with great white sharks in South Australia with our good friend and epic underwater image-maker Stephen Frink. See below for details.
Don’t Stop Scrolling!
We have some terrific content below, including:
- An innovative tradable instrument for accelerating decarbonization in the maritime shipping industry
- A short film that follows an environmental activist’s journey to conserve the nature and communities of the Niger Delta
- A short-form article and a deep dive report on ocean investing
As always, we thank you for your support.
The Investable Oceans Team
