This year, the summit will explore the essential role the ocean plays in crucial policy areas such as tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and boosting innovation. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, the event will bring together the policymakers, investors, scientists, and business leaders who must lead the way in harnessing the ocean’s economic potential while promoting ocean health.
High-level conversation and policymaking remain at the heart of the event in plenary sessions where participants can engage across sectors to find synergies in ocean finance, governance, innovation, climate change, resilience, and protecting marine biodiversity.
Extending the focus for 2021, the agenda features six industry tracks dedicated to aquaculture, fishing, shipping, marine renewable energy, plastics, and tourism. The sessions will provide detailed analysis and discussion on opportunities and challenges facing these industries as they work to increase revenues and efficiencies while reducing their impact on the ocean.
Plenary sessions:
- Financing the blue future
- Driving investment into natural capital to increase coastal resilience
- Ocean governance and national ocean strategies
- Ocean and cities
- Ocean solutions to mitigate climate change
- Blue carbon – achieving scale
- Deep-sea mining
- Blue biotech
- Accelerating action towards the 2030 marine protected areas (MPA) target
- Advance in technology to preserve ocean health
Aquaculture:
- How to scale up aquaculture production sustainably
- Focus on feed
- Innovative technologies to drive aquaculture growth
Fishing:
- Achieving optimum fisheries management
- The fishing sector and retailers—committing to responsible supply chains
- Technologies to speed up the transition to a sustainable fishing industry
Energy:
- Maximising the potential of offshore wind
- Understanding the future of hydrogen
- Assessing the scalability of alternative renewable-technology options
Shipping
- Defining a clear path to zero-carbon shipping
- Innovations to help reduce maritime emissions:
- Moving forward with alternative fuels
Plastics
- Changing the course of plastic pollution from source to sea
- Focusing on the consumer-goods sector to minimise plastic use
- Opportunities for waste collection infrastructure and management
Tourism
- How coastal tourism companies can protect their greatest resources
- Resort case study: rethinking sustainability
- Increasing consumer awareness for ecotourism post-COVID