En ligne | 18 février 2025 | 14:00 - 16:00
GC for Med – Session 1 : Kick-off session
All companies are more or less directly related to the ocean and many businesses are able to bring solutions to environmental and social challenges.
Over the last decades the number and intensity of the usages of the ocean has dramatically risen. Consequently, our social and economic dependencies on the ocean have increased as well as our impacts on the marine environment, thus threatening the services provided. Yet, oceans, Earth’s most vital ecosystem, crucial for humanity’s survival, face increasing stress from climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The identification of related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities appears to be especially complex as Sustainable Development Goal 14 “life below water” remains largely neglected by investors and is the least mentioned by companies when reporting.
The Mediterranean Sea holds immense ecological, economic and cultural value. Territories of the Mediterranean Sea share the heritage of civilisational encounters, as well as the Mediterranean Sea itself, which is seen as a common environment, a shared resource and a zone of cultural and commercial exchange. Its shores host some vital economic activities sustaining millions of people across its basin. Its environmental health is crucial for climate regulation and coastal livelihoods, making its preservation a global priority.
In the perspective of the upcoming third UN Ocean Conference, which will be held on the Mediterranean coast in Nice, a multi-stakeholder approach must be adopted. Transforming business models and relation to the Ocean is pivotal for addressing various global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and public health concerns as well as ensuring sustainable economic opportunities.
GC for Med aims to gather Mediterranean stakeholders through Global Compact Networks in order to give businesses tools to commit and set actions, build partnerships and share their perspective on ocean challenges.
In this session, hear from the team what GC for Med is about and learn from experts what is the current environmental situation in the Mediterranean sea along with a first look at how businesses are linked to its ecosystem. The session will also address a prospective approach of the Mediterranean sea presenting different scenarios for the region.
GC for Med is exclusively for UNGC participant companies.
Intervenants
- Corentin Donne, Chargé de mission Eau, océan, alimentation et forêt au Pacte mondial de l'ONU - Réseau France
- Camille Bos, Chargée de projets internationaux au Pacte mondial de l'ONU - Réseau France
- Niccolò BASSAN, Science Officer, UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
- Peter Burger, Data & Knowledge Management Officer, UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission