From August 20-23, Surfrider Foundation Europe organized Ocean Pavilion in Biarritz and Anglet (France). Organized ahead of the G7 Biarritz, this pre-summit aimed to bring the preservation of the ocean to the table of international negotiations that will take place over the next three days. Between conferences, debates, consultations and workshops, the Ocean Pavilion has kept all its promises, leading to the co-writing of a plea for the attention of G7 decision-makers, which will carry the voice and the commitments of more than 50 organizations mobilized for the ocean alongside Surfrider Foundation Europe.
Spotlight on the ocean and the solutions to preserve it
Over the last four days, more than 80 international experts joined us in workshops and on stage to make the Ocean Pavilion alive. Coming from all walks of life: science, sports, politics, and media; they explained how important it is to protect the ocean. The French Minister of the Ecological and Solidary Transition, Mrs. Elisabeth Borne, made the honor of visiting the Surfrider Foundation Europe headquarters to deliver an engaging and promising speech and to discuss with the various environmental NGOs present. Open to the public, and broadcasted live on the internet, this four day event was attended by more than 1,500 spectators.
The mobilization of all stakeholders – citizens, professional athletes, nonprofit organizations, companies, local authorities, and ministers – has resulted in the development of concrete solutions, ambitious yet realistic, for a healthy ocean. Through an official, co-signed declaration, these solutions will be submitted to the governments of some of the most powerful countries on the planet at the G7 Summit to urge them to commit to actions without further delay. In this context, four specific themes have been chosen : Sports and Tourism, Marine Biodiversity, Plastic Pollution and Climate.
The “Ocean call“, a collective declaration for the ocean
Over four days of meetings, reflections and workshops, the Ocean Pavilion has produced a collective statement, entitled “Ocean call“. This advocacy, co-signed by more than fifty organizations, aims to present the commitments of stakeholders present at the Ocean Pavilion, and to send concrete proposals to decision-makers.
« The battle for climate can only be won by building collective intelligence dynamics. We believe the way to drive sustainable change is through collaboration and understanding, instead of contestation. It is the entire civil society that is mobilizing to challenge the international community to go beyond declarations of intent, and to act. »
Florent Marcoux, Executive Director of Surfrider Foundation Europe
At the end of their active participation in the pre-summit “Ocean Pavilion” and through their joint declarations in the “Ocean call“, all Ocean Pavilion partners present today a comprehensive and ambitious proposal of actions to the G7 leaders. Surfrider Europe aims to demonstrate that all stakeholders are ready to gather and commit themselves to protect the ocean, calling on the G7 decision-makers to do the same from August 24 to 26.
Surfrider Europe and the Ocean call signatories are pleased to announce officially that the Ocean call will be included among the agenda documents reviewed during the G7 Summit and we now await responsive actions from our global leaders. The health of the ocean, the main climate regulator and producer of half of the oxygen on Earth, depends on it.
Following the G7 Summit, the Ocean call will also be staged at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York in September, at the COP 25 in Chile in December and finally at the COP 15 on Biodiversity in China in 2020.
