On
The
Horizon
Environmental
Solutions
With the focus on the Oceans and climate: Decade of the Ocean, COP26, the UK Net Zero Pledge, we need to be supporting the idea that the ocean can be part of an environmental solution to anthropic global issues.
Sustainable resource management of marine systems, be it for coastal resilience, mineral extraction for essential metals for the green economy, or using depleted oil and gas reservoirs to store carbon dioxide away to reduce global warming, requires knowledge that minimises the impacts that these activities have on marine systems. The NOC will be actively working in these sectors in the coming year, sure in the knowledge that our expertise is amongst the best in the world.
Healthy and
Productive Seas
Studies into the impact that man’s activities have on the marine environment are essential to develop policies that can protect this delicate ecosystem. Better understanding of the pressures on marine systems from contaminants such as plastics; nutrients, herbicides and pesticides, and the impacts of land use changes such as deforestation and wetland drainage programmes, is urgently needed.
International
Cooperation
In 2021 we will have the G7 presidency and aim to exert great influence over the G7 Future of the Seas Initiative. The year also sees the UK hosting the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, a real opportunity to get ocean issues firmly near the top of the climate agenda. 2021 is also the launch year of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
At the NOC, we are planning to make the most of the next 10 years in raising the profile of the ocean and working with other world leading scientists to tackle the issues that are important to us all.
Public Engagement
and Fundraising
We will be supporting Southampton in its bid to become City of Culture in 2025, working in partnership with our community. We also plan to increase our public engagement events helping us to educate and inspire people.
As a newly independent organisation we will be looking at news ways to diversify our income, including fundraising. Individuals, companies and charitable foundations have an important role to play in understanding our changing ocean, so as a collective we can play our part in helping to restore it.