” NOTWe are going to make commitments today; these will be Brest’s commitments! promised Emmanuel Macron on Friday in the preamble to the closing of the summit for the oceans, an international event on his initiative.
It must be said that this political component, bringing together no less than 41 States and completing two days of exchanges between several hundred researchers, economic actors and NGOs, devoted to the safeguarding of the ocean, was particularly awaited by its defenders. “Our oceans cannot wait any longer”, recognized the Head of State, committing to “historic decisions” to preserve biodiversity, stop the overexploitation of marine resources and fight against pollution, but also to better fight against climate change.
A treaty for the high seas
Thus and because the creation of protected areas is an essential pillar of the preservation of biodiversity, the High Ambition for Nature and Peoples coalition, launched at the One Planet Summit in January 2021 bringing together 30 countries with the objective to protect 30% of the lands and oceans by 2030, in account since this Friday 83, declared the president.
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But two-thirds of the ocean remains beyond national jurisdictions, so 45% of the surface of our planet cannot benefit from this protection for the time being. Also, 27 Member States of the European Union, joined by 14 third countries, will conclude in the coming months and after years of negotiation, a treaty intended to safeguard the high seas, announced Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
It is a question of “concluding these exchanges and moving forward to finally have the tools to protect these international waters which are too often an area of ecological lawlessness”, thus underlined the president.
Also, 14 countries have pledged to step up the fight against illegal fishing, which represents a fifth of the world’s catches, in particular through the mobilization of the navy of several Member States of the European Union.
Freight, plastic pollution and the digital revolution
And while 90% of goods are now transported by sea – generating 3% of greenhouse gas emissions – maritime transport has also been the subject of announcements. These include the commitment of 22 European shipowners to a new “Green Marine Europe” label, involving concrete measures concerning atmospheric emissions, the management of residual materials, underwater noise and the recycling of ships.
Another major issue in safeguarding the oceans, plastic pollution, which amounts to 9 million tonnes each year – 80% of which comes from land – is also in the crosshairs of decision-makers. European, French, German, Italian and Spanish public funding will therefore combine their resources for an amount of 4 billion euros by 2025, within the framework of the most important initiative dedicated to the reduction of plastic pollution “Clean Oceans Initiative”.
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And because the digital revolution is a real opportunity to understand the hydrosphere and thus take the best measures for the ocean, Unesco has committed to map 80% of the seabed by 2030 when the European Union has announced that it is having a “digital twin” – a virtual double powered by cutting-edge data and algorithms.
“The agenda is progressing on all these subjects”
Finally, France recalled that it intended to act at the national level, in particular by committing to treat within ten years the abandoned landfills on its coasts presenting risks of plastic discharge.
“The agenda is moving forward on all these subjects”, assured Emmanuel Macron, while the One Ocean Summit is the starting point for a series of international meetings to come and during which the ocean will be central, with the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June and COP27, hosted by Egypt in the fall.
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