It’s Time to Invest in Youth Leadership for the Sustainable Blue Economy
By: Geoff Green, Founder, SOI Foundation
Two breaths. One from the ocean. That’s the message conveyed by 130 youth from around the world who took part in our SOI Arctic expedition in 2019. It’s a strong message that reminds us of the power of the ocean to mitigate climate change and boost climate resilience.
It’s now 2021. We hope that discussions at home and abroad leading up to and during COP26 have signaled that world leaders are also taking the ocean’s role in a sustainable economy more seriously.
Indigenous leaders around the world have been demanding leaders recognize the role that their cultures and worldviews have played in combating climate change. Youth have been vocalizing their concerns about the slow pace of climate action. We hope leaders are listening.
During COP26, we’ve seen the U.S. join Canada and 13 other member countries in the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel). Together, they represent 40 percent of the world’s coastlines.
According to reports commissioned by the panel, ocean-based climate actions can deliver 21 percent of the annual greenhouse gas emission cuts required to keep the planet within 1.5 degree celsius warming by 2050. They also found that for every dollar invested in the sustainable ocean economy, net benefits of $5 or more can be reaped.
There could be signs the private sector could be more involved in climate action as well, with 450 banks worth $130 trillion in 45 countries committing to the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). The International Energy Agency estimates that if the commitments and pledges made by the GFANZ and many others can be fulfilled to their fullest extent, the world’s projected warming will decrease from 2.7C to within 1.8C above pre-industrial levels, though that’s still higher than the 1.5C climate experts have called for.
Given the state of the planet, it’s important to ensure that our blue economy is sustainable. For SOI, that includes all water (fresh, waste and frozen). In line with definitions from the WWF and the World Bank, it also includes Indigenous knowledge, nature-positive solutions, clean energy, and a circular economy.
At SOI, we have always believed that youth are leaders today and tomorrow. With our planet facing unprecedented challenges, their voices, ideas, and action are more important than ever. In Canada, an aging country with the longest coastline and about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater reserves, youth need to play a role in shaping the sustainable blue economy.
The 130 youth in our 2019 Arctic expedition asked all of us to “do better.” There is no better time than today to invest in youth leadership and engagement to ensure a sustainable and inclusive blue economy that contributes to a healthy future for all.
SOI Foundation inspires new perspectives, ideas, connections and collaborative solutions for a nature-positive world through educational expeditions, cross-cultural experiences, science and outreach initiatives in the Arctic, Antarctic, and places in between. The outcome is a global network that takes action and contributes to building healthy communities and a sustainable future for people and our planet. Learn more at http://soifoundation.org
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