TM15 | An Ocean of Possibilities: Imagining the Future of Ocean Sustainability

TM15

An Ocean of Possibilities: Imagining the Future of Ocean Sustainability
Convener: Victor Brun | Co-convener: Alfredo Giron
Tue, 03 Jun, 12:45–13:45 (CEST)|Room 2
Tue, 12:45
The world is not on track to achieve any of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including SDG 14 on Life Below Water. Ocean ecosystems, biodiversity, and the communities that depend on them face mounting threats. Recognising this, a 2023 survey conducted by the Ocean & Climate Platform (OCP) and Varda Group highlighted two key priorities for the ocean community: the urgent need to accelerate progress on SDG 14 and the importance of initiating reflections on a post-2030 agenda.

In response, OCP—together with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Friends of Ocean Action, and with the support of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy—launched a participatory visioning exercise to imagine desirable futures for the ocean and explore the transformations needed to make them a reality. This initiative informs discussions in the lead-up to the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3).

At the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice, France, the Town Hall meeting “An Ocean of Possibilities” will present key insights emerging from this exercise. Structured around four core themes, the session will explore:
People and Nature: The need for transformative change at the interface between human societies and marine ecosystems.
Multilateralism: The power of international cooperation in enabling effective ocean governance and collective action.
Science: The central and evolving role of research and knowledge systems in supporting ocean sustainability and societal transformation.
Finance: Strategies to scale and mobilise financial mechanisms in service of equitable and resilient ocean futures.
This Town Hall aims to foster discussion among researchers and practitioners, while contributing to the development of a meaningful Post-2030 ocean agenda.

Speakers

  • Joachim Claudet, CNRS
  • David Obura, CORDIO East Africa, Kenya
  • Minna Epps, IUCN, Switzerland
  • Stacy Jupiter, Wildlife Conservation Society, United States of America