The 2019 G7 Summit will be held in Biarritz, France, from 24 to 26 August. Bringing together the world’s seven most powerful economic leaders, the guiding theme for this year’s international meeting will be “the fight against inequality”. In this context, inequalities in the face of climate change must be addressed. Just ahead of the 2019 Summit, Surfrider Foundation Europe is seizing the opportunity to promote the protection of the ocean to the core of diplomatic negotiations.
A unique opportunity to promote the interests of the ocean
In the days preceding the G7 Summit, from 20 to 23 August, Surfrider Foundation Europe will host Ocean Pavilion, four days of public talks and expert workshops with the objective to draw attention to the urgent need for G7 leaders to take concrete action to preserve our natural marine resources. Ocean Pavilion will demonstrate that our civic representatives, and society as a whole, is ready to commit to sustainable change.
The Pavilion will also be an opportunity to highlight the important political advocacy campaigns conducted by Surfrider Foundation Europe on a daily basis. At local, national and European levels, the association works every day to support the private and public sectors working to prioritize ocean health.
To support this work, Surfrider relies on the numerous independent initiatives emerging more and more frequently from civil society. Ocean Pavilion intends to widely honor the civic commitments undertaken by both the public and private sector. Key players from the transportation, tourism and restauration industries will present the efforts they are making alongside Surfrider Europe to reduce their footprint on the ocean and climate.
Four themes, one common declaration
Each day will be dedicated to a specific environmental theme. The first day, which will be held at the Espace Océan in Anglet, will be devoted to the theme of Sport and Sustainable Tourism. The next three will take place at the Surfrider Foundation Europe headquarters in Biarritz, with marine biodiversity, plastic pollution and climate on the agenda.
The event will be structured around conferences and round tables, several of which will be open to the public and streamed live on YouTube. Speakers from various political, economic, media and scientific backgrounds will speak about their relationship to the ocean, how essential it is for us to ensure its preservation, and the different kinds of levers at our disposal are.
At the conclusion of four days of meetings and exchange, all participants who have been invited to speak will contribute to the drafting of an “Ocean Call”, an official declaration detailing the challenges participants are committed to meeting in order to preserve the Ocean through concrete and realistic, but no less ambitious, solutions. On this basis, they will in turn invite the G7 leaders to take action at both the European and global levels.
Join Surfrider Europe’s Ocean Pavilion, August 20 to 23, either in-person by registering online or connect via the YouTube Live Stream starting everyday at 4:30pm!
