Hottest ever ocean temperatures threaten planet’s health, and other nature and climate stories to read this week

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Johnny Wood, Writer, Forum Agenda 1. Record ocean temperatures threaten the planet’s health The climate crisis has pushed the world’s oceans to their hottest-ever temperatures, with serious repercussions for the planet’s wellbeing. Average water temperatures hit 20.96°C on […]

EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’: €106 million for 18 new projects for protection, conservation, depollution and innovation

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission announced today 18 new projects which will receive over€106 million  to contribute to the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’. The projects gather over 370 beneficiaries from 36 countries, including SMEs, research institutions, local authorities, schools and businesses. They will play […]

UN High Seas Treaty: Why we need a global dialogue on the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Yves Mathieu, Co-director and Founder, Missions Publiques The United Nations’ High Seas Treaty has finally been signed and aspires to “universal participation” for the first time, marking a giant step for the ocean and its governance. The historic UN […]

What is the Great Blue Wall Initiative?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Thomas Sberna, Regional Head, Marine and Coastal Resilience The ocean is a source of trillions of dollars’ worth of free economic activity. It regulates the climate, provides food for humans and a habitat for our food to grow. It […]

Why the High Seas Treaty is a breakthrough for the ocean and the planet

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Gemma Parkes, Communications Lead, Ocean Action Agenda, World Economic Forum The ocean. That vast, profound, dazzling azure blue and seemingly endless body of water that cradles the planet we call home and defines it from space. The iconic blue […]

Ocean biodiversity: global agreement on protection and sustainable use of resources and biodiversity in high seas

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, global negotiations concluded on the landmark Treaty of the High Seas to protect the ocean, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and prevent biodiversity loss. The new treaty will allow to establish large-scale marine protected areas on the high seas, which are also […]

Our Ocean Conference: EU announces €816.5 million worth of commitments to protect the ocean

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, at the Our Ocean Conference in Panama, the EU is confirming its strong engagement for international ocean governance by announcing  39 commitments for actionfor the year 2023. These actions will be funded by €816.5 million. This is one of the biggest amounts ever […]

How to create a healthy ocean that benefits everyone

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean and Co-Chair, Friends of Ocean Action Restoring ocean health is not just about verdant mangrove forests, thriving fish stocks and pristine blue waters, although these are all vitally important in […]

A sustainable path to lasting recovery for Small Island Developing States lies in the ocean and the building of a robust blue economy

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Shiri Krishna Gounder, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Economy, Government of Fiji Reliant on tourism and trade, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were among the hardest hit globally by the economic impact of COVID-19. Fiji and other SIDS […]

A sustainable path to lasting recovery for Small Island Developing States lies in the ocean and the building of a robust blue economy

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Shiri Krishna Gounder, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Economy, Government of Fiji Reliant on tourism and trade, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were among the hardest hit globally by the economic impact of COVID-19. Fiji and other SIDS […]

Green Deal: EU announces €1 billion worth of commitments to protect the ocean

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, at the Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Palau, the EU has renewed its pledges towards international Ocean governance. Presenting a list of 44 commitments for the 2020-2022 period for an amount of almost €1 billion, the EU has brought forward its most important […]

These innovations are pulling plastic pollution out of rivers to stop it reaching our ocean. Here’s how

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Simon Torkington, Senior Writer, Formative Content Over 90% of the plastic waste in our oceans is discharged by just 10 rivers. Small, innovative businesses are deploying low-cost, low-tech solutions to capture plastic from rivers. The projects are easy […]

Is the answer to land-based agriculture found in the ocean?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Kathryn Saducas, Freelance Writer, Caroline Slootweg, Co-Founder, CCO/CMO, Kelp Blue Population growth is outpacing traditional farming’s capacity and putting pressure on ocean and food ecosystems Bio-active compounds in seaweed are proven to promote plant growth and yields, yet […]

Reusing 10% will stop almost half of plastic waste from entering the ocean. Here’s how

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Zara Ingilizian, Head of Shaping the Future of Consumption; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum & Mayuri Ghosh, Head of Consumers Beyond Disposability, Strategy & Public Private Partnerships, Future of Consumption Platform, World Economic Forum & […]

Why sharks matter to ocean ecosystems: an expert explains

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Johnny Wood, Senior Writer, Formative Content Shark attacks on humans are rare, according to a shark expert. Overfishing is causing many shark populations to decline and driving some to the point of extinction. Improved marine management is a […]

This new project will help us understand, monitor, predict and protect the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Peter de Menocal, President and Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Member of Friends of Ocean Action Our society’s capacity to mitigate and adapt to future climate impacts is dependent upon how accurately we can predict them. We are […]

Ending harmful fisheries subsidies would improve the health of our ocean. This is why

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Maria Damanaki, Principal Advisor, SYSTEMIQ, UK; Principal Advisor, The Paradise International Foundation, China, Member of Friends of Ocean Action Subsidies paid to the global fishing industry amount to $35 billion per year, of which more than 60% meets […]

5 things we can do in 2021 that will protect the ocean and change lives

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Kristian Teleki, Director of Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum, and Director, Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Institute The stars are aligned around five actions that together will deliver food security, sustainable jobs, climate resilience, justice and […]

This is how we empower a generation of young people to protect the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Daniela V. Fernandez, Founder and CEO, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Member of Friends of Ocean Action We need to empower a future generation of leaders to create a sustainable world with a healthy and thriving ocean. Sustainable Ocean Alliance […]

This is how climate change is impacting the ocean – and what we can do about it

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content The ocean is a massive carbon sink, protecting us from the worst of climate change. But rising air temperatures are melting glaciers, while warming seas are bleaching coral. Action like coral reef […]

Ocean conservation: EU leads the international effort to establish new Marine Protected Areas in Antarctica

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius hosted a ministerial meeting to build support among the Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) for the designation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean, […]

How data is transforming the way we care for the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Bjorn Tore Markussen, Chief Executive Officer, C4IR Ocean, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Ocean & Kristian Teleki, Director of the Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum, and Director, Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Institute Turning commitments […]

Can ocean health lead to wealth? Our latest House on Fire podcast tackles blue finance

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: James Bray, Podcast producer, Episode six of House on Fire looks at the potential of blue finance to clean and conserve the ocean. Private investment in ocean solutions could make huge economic and environmental gains. Other episodes in […]

How face masks, gloves and other coronavirus waste is polluting our ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Charlotte Edmond, Senior Writer, Formative Content Coronavirus waste has become a new form of pollution as single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) floods our ocean. COVID-19 has had a number of unexpected impacts on the environment, curtailing recycling and […]

3 innovations which are leading the fight to save our ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Kaya Bulbul, Digital Media Specialist, World Economic Forum Our ocean faces an unprecedented set of interconnected challenges. The winners of the Ocean Solutions Sprint, a competition to find the best ideas to save our ocean, have been announced. […]

The world must pull together to stem the urgent crisis in our ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Tetsuji Ida, Senior Staff Writer and Editorial Writer, Kyodo News The oceans are increasingly threatened by a host of different factors. To tackle these threats will require a fundamental change in the way the international community works and […]

5 inventions that could transform the health of our ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Harry Kretchmer, Senior Writer, Formative Content The ocean is estimated to contain at least 86 million tonnes of plastic waste, as well as chemical and other pollutants. Fishing debris turned into sunglasses and deep sea robots collecting pollution […]

Sea urchins are overwhelming parts of the ocean. Could turning them into sushi be the solution?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Charlotte Edmond, Senior Writer, Formative Content Sea urchin populations have proliferated due to marine ecosystems being out of sync. They are destroying kelp forests, leaving large swathes of barren ocean. These kelp forests form part of a crucial […]

The ocean is teeming with microplastic – a million times more than we thought, suggests new research

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Johnny Wood, Senior Writer, Formative Content New research suggests the scale of plastic pollution in our oceans could be a million times worse than previously recorded. The researchers analysed the intestines of tiny filter-feeding invertebrates called salps, finding […]

Why the next 4 months are crucial to the future of the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 is the UN’s clarion call for harmful fisheries subsidies to be prohibited by 2020, a task of global importance assigned to the World […]

This is how we can feed the planet while saving the ocean

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Maria Damanaki, Global Managing Director, Oceans, Nature Conservancy What if I showed you evidence suggesting the global supply of beef, chicken or pork could collapse over the coming decades? You might well panic at the thought. This threat, while […]

Here are 5 reasons why the ocean is so important

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Sean Fleming, Senior Writer, Formative Content Unless you’ve been making a superhuman effort to avoid the news recently, you’ll know that the ocean is vital to life on Earth. But why, exactly, is this the case? Here are five […]

David Attenborough’s worried about this ocean threat – and it’s not plastic

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Emma Charlton, Senior Writer, Formative Content If the ocean was an economy, it would be the seventh largest in the world. But instead of fostering it as a resource, humans are jeopardising its future – using it as […]

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