Latest news with #UNOceansConference
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
William to address Monaco forum in bid to help world's oceans
The Prince of Wales will travel to the South of France this weekend to call for more to be done to protect the world's oceans. In what his team describes as a "landmark speech" in Monaco on Sunday - World Oceans Day - he will address environmentalists and, crucially, investors, to urge them to work together to protect our oceans Prince William will attend the Blue Economy and Finance Forum as founder of the Earthshot environmental prize which looks for solutions to the world's climate challenges. The forum is the curtain-raiser to the UN Oceans Conference in Nice next week. "The Prince of Wales feels passionately about action being taken to protect and restore our oceans," a Kensington Palace spokesperson told the BBC. "Tomorrow, he's going to be calling for swift, immediate global action. The time is now." Rising temperatures, pollution and overfishing are causing huge damage to the world's oceans and the communities that rely on them. Events this weekend will look at the role oceans play in global trade, food security and sustainable energy. The meeting will be held at the Grimaldi Forum, an eye-catching steel and glass venue, named after Monaco's own royal family. Prince Albert II of Monaco is a supporter of many oceans projects and is a key player at the forum. "This event will be more than a forum. It will provide an unique opportunity to bring together decision makers, finance professionals, philanthropists, NGOs and players from the private sector to turn ambition into action," he says. William announces Earthshot winners in Cape Town William returns to 'special place' Africa for prize awards 'Smaller R in royal' - Prince William wants to do things differently Last month, Sir David Attenborough's new film, Oceans, was released in cinemas. It gave his lifelong perspective on the value of oceans. "After living for nearly 100 years on this planet," he says "I now understand that the most important place on earth is not on land but at sea and today we are living in the greatest age of ocean discovery." The film places the oceans as being at a crossroads, needing more action to help them continue as the "planet's support system". Prince William shares that view. He has made his admiration for Sir David, who was an inspiration for the creation of the Earthshot Prize, clear. Sir David's storytelling around the environment is a powerful asset in getting public attention and buy in – something the prince is acutely aware of. The visit to France is an insight into how Prince William sees his role in the environmental space and part of his development as a global statesman. Also attending the forum in Monaco will be France's President Emmanuel Macron and President Rodrigo Roblez of Costa Rica. Why Monaco? Because, over the coming days, gathered in this wealthy, tax haven, amid the super yachts and holidaying multi-millionaires, is some serious cash and investors willing to spend it on protecting marine life and the oceans they live in. The prince's speech and meetings will largely be in public on Sunday. But he will also hold a closed, private session with experts and the investor community. It's a pragmatic approach to using his royal soft power to draw in people who have the resources to help generate change. Throughout his life, the King has used his platform to bring the conversation about the environment into the mainstream. His son is now building on that, in his own way, to try to show that environmental solutions are worth the investment. And the oceans can be a difficult sell. The sheer scale of the work that needs to be done can make it less attractive to investors. "I have a job that should not exist" is how Sam Teicher, the co-founder and chief reef officer of CoralVita often begins his pitches. His business was the first winner of the million-pound Earthshot prize in 2021 for solutions to repair and protect oceans. CoralVita grows corals to restore dying reefs. Of this year's Earthshot nominations, only 9% have entered the "Revive Our Oceans" category. "We are land creatures, it is out of sight and out of mind for a lot of people," says Sam Teicher. He will be in Monaco this weekend and describes his approach to raising money for his business as "trying to harness capitalism for good", stressing that "you need to be genuine and maintain integrity, you don't want to blue wash or green wash". And that strategy is working. The BBC has learnt that CoralVita has just won funding of about £6m ($8.1m) with investors led by Builders Vision – a philanthropic organisation created by Lukas Walton, whose grandparents founded the Walmart chain in the United States. It is one of the biggest funding offers for oceans work and will mean CoralVita can scale up and accelerate its restoration projects to help preserve the ocean's biodiversity. The investment power of Builders Vision will now also support the Earthshot Prize in a newly announced partnership. It again highlights the impact Prince William can have in linking up environmental solutions with investors. The Prince William factor has been a huge benefit to CoralVita as it works to scale up its business. "He helps getting in front of people who would normally not think it was investible or that it mattered," says Mr Teicher. "We need to expand out to bankers, government leaders, tech specialists. He gets more people around the table." And ultimately this is an event where money matters. For Mr Teicher the target is always the right type of investor. "We aren't looking for people wanting a traditional five to seven year return," he says. "This is a long-haul problem. We need people in it for the long haul." 'Smaller R in royal' - Prince William wants to do things differently William: Attenborough was 'inspiration' for new show Watch: William on 'positive impact' of Earthshot Prize
France 24
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Women of the sea
France 12:46 Issued on: 12:46 min In a special edition to mark the UN Oceans Conference being held here in France, we're focusing on the women of the sea; be they sailors, explorers or working in the merchant navy. In a world long dominated by men, there is now a wave of talented women who are turning the tide. Annette Young meets Swiss sailor, Justine Mettraux, who was the first woman to cross the finish line of the 2025 Vendée Globe; the solo round-the-world race. She set the record for the fastest result ever by a woman. Our other guest is Tamara Klink, the Brazilian sailor who made her first solo Atlantic crossing at the age of 24. Last year, the 28-year-old became the first woman to spend eight months of winter in Greenland alone on her vessel. Plus what is life like for the women in the French merchant navy, who still make up an exceedingly tiny minority, and how some still experience misogynistic behaviour.
Euronews
a day ago
- Politics
- Euronews
EU unveils Ocean Pact ahead of UN conference in France
The European Commission presented a plan aimed at better protecting oceans on Thursday, ahead of the UN Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, next week. It says the European Ocean Pact is a 'comprehensive' roadmap to protect the ocean, promote a blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single framework to address threats facing the bloc's oceans. It lays out several key priorities, including protecting and restoring ocean health, boosting the EU's blue economy, supporting coastal and island communities, advancing ocean research, enhancing maritime security and defence, and strengthening ocean diplomacy. 'It will not only benefit the planet, but also the people who call the coast their home, and the generations who will steward our oceans tomorrow,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, added that it wasn't just a 'message in a bottle' but a concrete plan for action. "It also offers immense potential for more investments in a sustainable blue economy, and it is key for our security," he added. Headline pledges include proposing a new European law on the oceans by 2027 and revising two maritime directives to better protect biodiversity. But environmental NGOs aren't so sure. While the pact shows 'tentative steps' in the right direction, they say there are 'critical gaps' which must be addressed. They consider it a missed opportunity for the EU to show leadership at the UNOC, where it will present the Pact next week. In a joint statement, a group of six leading environmental NGOs said the Pact falls short of delivering the urgent action and binding targets that are needed to protect oceans. BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk, Surfrider Foundation Europe, and the WWF European Policy Office welcomed the announcement but warned that to be successful, it must lead to the immediate implementation of existing obligations and include legally binding targets. Vera Coelho, deputy vice-president of Oceana in Europe, said it was a 'missed opportunity' for the EU to show leadership at the upcoming UNOC. 'It proposes to continue the same failed, case-by-case approach that has enabled destructive practices like bottom trawling to continue for decades inside the EU's so-called 'protected' areas,' Coelho explains. 'It opens the door to revising key pieces of EU law, such as the Common Fisheries Policy, rather than proposing an implementation and enforcement strategy to address the real root of the ocean's multiple crises: lack of political will by member states to meet agreed targets and implement EU law. 'By deferring real action, this lacklustre Pact puts at risk the future of Europe's seas and of the people who rely on them.' The NGOs are urging EU institutions and member states to strengthen the pact with concrete measures and ensure that ocean protection becomes central to ocean-related EU laws. 'While the Commission promises in the Ocean Pact to work on enforcement, it falls short, offering no concrete plan for how ocean laws, which exist on paper, will actually be implemented at sea,' adds Juliet Stote, law and policy advisor on marine ecosystems at ClientEarth. 'Currently, EU laws are continuously breached - with destructive activities such as bottom trawling routinely taking place in Marine Protected Areas, and overfishing continuing in EU waters - this must stop.' Paris's Seine could be the next river granted legal personhood under plans announced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo yesterday. Paris City Council has called on Parliament to pass a law giving the River Seine rights, so that "an independent guardian authority' can defend it in court, according to yesterday's resolution. It follows a swell of similar 'rights for nature' breakthroughs since New Zealand first recognised the Whanganui River as a living entity in 2017. And is another step forward in Paris's bid to protect the Seine from pollution. 'From the reclamation of the banks in 2016 to the historic swimming in the Seine during the Paris Games, to the improvement of water quality, we have never stopped acting to restore our river to its rightful place!' Hidalgo wrote in a LinkedIn post yesterday. The foundations of the plan were laid by a citizens' convention on the future of the Seine, which concluded last month. 50 citizens chosen at random questioned experts and took part in weeks of debate in order to reach a collective opinion. They concluded that the Seine should have fundamental rights, including 'the right to exist, to flow and to regenerate.' On the basis of this opinion, the City of Paris is tabling a bill in Parliament to give the Seine the rights to be properly protected. Une publication partagée par Anne Hidalgo (@annehidalgo) 'Recognising rights to the oceans, rivers or the Seine is neither a symbolic gesture nor a legal fantasy: it is a political response to the ecological emergency. It is urgent to act!' Hidalgo added. The Seine must be considered an ecosystem that "no one can claim ownership of", where the preservation of life takes "precedence over everything", according to the convention. Paris has been on a major cleanup mission on the Seine's behalf in recent years, spending €1.4 billion on its recovery. That includes investments like building a giant underground tub to store wastewater so that it doesn't run into the river. It received a boost in the run-up to the Olympics last year, as French authorities sought to get the river clean enough to host water sports events. After much speculation, failed E. coli tests, and one Mayoral swim, some Olympic events were able to go ahead. But a plan to open the Seine for public swimming last summer was delayed until this year. Now, authorities say it will be opened up at three points from 5 July. Despite ongoing issues from pollution, rising water temperatures, and pesticide runoff, the Seine has been getting markedly healthier. As the citizens' convention noted, the river is now home to around 40 species of fish - up from just four in 1970. Opening the river up to the public this summer could present "additional risks", it warned, and so will need to be carefully managed. Communities around the world have campaigned for fragile ecosystems like rivers and mountains to be afforded legal rights in order to better protect them. The legislation protecting the Whanganui River combines Western legal precedent with Indigenous beliefs, as Maori people have long considered it a living entity. In 2022, Spain granted personhood status to Europe's biggest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor, marking the first time a European ecosystem gained the right to the conservation of its species and habitats, and protection from harmful activities such as intensive agriculture. Last year, an Ecuadorian court ruled that pollution had violated the rights of the Machángara River, which runs through Quito. It enforced an article of Ecuador's Constitution that recognises the rights of nature. Hidalgo wants to see the Seine join this privileged company. 'Paris is committed to putting the Seine back in its rightful place, in the heart of our city and as close as possible to its inhabitants,' she wrote. 'A new adventure begins!'
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Slams Deep Sea Mining Application As A ‘Total Disregard For International Law'
Press Release – Greenpeace 'This unilateral US effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition. Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep sea mining.' Greenpeace has slammed an announcement by The Metals Company to submit the first application to commercially mine the seabed. Greenpeace International Senior campaigner Louisa Casson said: 'The first application to commercially mine the seabed will be remembered as an act of total disregard for international law and scientific consensus. 'This unilateral US effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition. Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep sea mining. 'Leaders will be meeting at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice in June where they must speak with one voice in support of a moratorium on this reckless industry.' Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juressa Lee said: 'The disastrous effects of deep sea mining recognise no international borders in the ocean. This will be another case of short-term profits for a very few, from the Global North, with the Pacific bearing the destructive impacts for generations to come.' The Metals Company announcement follows President Donald Trump's Executive Order fast-tracking deep sea mining in US and international waters, which Greenpeace says threatens Pacific sovereignty. Trump's action bypasses the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the regulatory body which protects the deep sea and decides whether deep sea mining can take place in international waters. Lee adds: 'The Metals Company and Donald Trump are wilfully ignoring the rules-based international order and the science that deep sea mining will wreak havoc on the oceans. 'Pacific Peoples have deep cultural ties to the ocean, and we regard 'home' as more ocean than land. Our ancestors were wayfarers and ocean custodians who have traversed the Pacific and protected our livelihoods for future generations. This is the Indigenous knowledge we should be led by, to safeguard our planet and our environment. Deep sea mining is not the answer to the green transition away from carbon-based fossil fuels – it's another false solution.' Donald Trump's order follows negotiations in March at the ISA, at which governments refused to give wannabe miners The Metals Company a clear pathway to an approved mining application via the ISA. 32 countries around the world publicly support a moratorium on deep sea mining. Millions of people have spoken out against this dangerous emerging industry.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Slams Deep Sea Mining Application As A ‘Total Disregard For International Law'
Greenpeace has slammed an announcement by The Metals Company to submit the first application to commercially mine the seabed. Greenpeace International Senior campaigner Louisa Casson said: "The first application to commercially mine the seabed will be remembered as an act of total disregard for international law and scientific consensus. "This unilateral US effort to carve up the Pacific Ocean already faces fierce international opposition. Governments around the world must now step up to defend international rules and cooperation against rogue deep sea mining. "Leaders will be meeting at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice in June where they must speak with one voice in support of a moratorium on this reckless industry." Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juressa Lee said: "The disastrous effects of deep sea mining recognise no international borders in the ocean. This will be another case of short-term profits for a very few, from the Global North, with the Pacific bearing the destructive impacts for generations to come." The Metals Company announcement follows President Donald Trump's Executive Order fast-tracking deep sea mining in US and international waters, which Greenpeace says threatens Pacific sovereignty. Trump's action bypasses the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the regulatory body which protects the deep sea and decides whether deep sea mining can take place in international waters. Lee adds: "The Metals Company and Donald Trump are wilfully ignoring the rules-based international order and the science that deep sea mining will wreak havoc on the oceans. "Pacific Peoples have deep cultural ties to the ocean, and we regard 'home' as more ocean than land. Our ancestors were wayfarers and ocean custodians who have traversed the Pacific and protected our livelihoods for future generations. This is the Indigenous knowledge we should be led by, to safeguard our planet and our environment. Deep sea mining is not the answer to the green transition away from carbon-based fossil fuels - it's another false solution." Donald Trump's order follows negotiations in March at the ISA, at which governments refused to give wannabe miners The Metals Company a clear pathway to an approved mining application via the ISA. 32 countries around the world publicly support a moratorium on deep sea mining. Millions of people have spoken out against this dangerous emerging industry.
