Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s new environment minister, has stated her desire to lead the world in ocean protection, but this week will be her first opportunity to put her words into action.
In order to figure out how to protect the ocean from the horrors of climate change, pollution, overfishing, and development, heads of state and environment ministers from all around the globe are convening in Lisbon, Portugal.
Following a $80 million, four-year Australian investment to the Global Environment Faculty, an international grants organization, the event will be Ms. Plibersek’s first appearance on the global stage in her new portfolio.
Thousands of delegates will attend, including Pepe Clarke, who oversees ocean conservation initiatives for WWF International.
According to him, the summit, which also includes conservation organizations, scientists, philanthropists, and the commercial sector, is the ideal setting for Ms. Plibersek to score some early runs in front of a large audience.
The conference’s purpose is to advance efforts to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is to protect and sustainably utilize the oceans, seas, and marine resources of the globe.
Before heading to Lisbon, Ms Plibersek said observers could expect to see Australia take a proactive role to ramp up protections for the planet’s largest carbon sink, which is facing unprecedented threats from human activity.
‘The new Australian government understands the urgency of the challenge facing our oceans and our planet, and we are committed to being a full partner in the global fight to combat it,’ she said.
‘Australian ocean science is world’s best – we now have a government prepared to use what we know to protect and restore ocean health.’
Mr Clarke said the minister should use the conference to restate Australia’s commitment to the global push to protect 30 per cent of the earth’s land and 30 per cent of its oceans by 2030.
But there was an opportunity to go much further.
Mr Clarke said about 45 per cent of Australia’s marine territory sits within marine protected areas but just 17 per cent or so is fully protected from oil, gas and fishing activities.
‘Australia can be really out in front here and say in our waters we’ll ensure we have more than 30 per cent in marine protected areas but also work towards protecting 30 per cent of our oceans from extractive activities.’
Mr Clarke said Australia could also pledge to step up investment in nature-based climate solutions in the Pacific and offer to share expertise on coral reef conservation.
There was also an opportunity for Ms Plibersek to stress support for a global agreement to protect marine life on the high seas – the majority of the world’s oceans that lie beyond the jurisdiction of individual countries.
UN member states have been discussing how to protect the high seas from overfishing, mining, polluting and other threats for almost 20 years and seemed close to striking a deal in 2020.
Then COVID struck and talks were put on ice.
Mr Clarke is hopeful the conference will reinvigorate that effort, alongside other big ticket items Australia supports including a global treaty on plastic pollution and a new marine-protected Antarctic area.
The UN Ocean Conference gets underway in Lisbon on Monday and runs until July 1.