Scaling up action and building effective partnerships for SDG 14: the essential roles of higher education and business Side Event- 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference
Mon 27 Jun 2022, 4.00 pm
Background
Note: This event has passed
Background
Organized by the Government of Ireland, UN DESA, UN OHRLLS, the International Association of Universities (IAU), The Partnering Initiative (TPI) and the University of Bergen (UiB)
This side event aimed to raise the capacity of different stakeholders in forging effective partnerships for Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): Life below water, to conserve and sustainable use the ocean and marine resources for sustainable development. The event brought together policymakers, industry, academia, civil society, the UN system and ocean enthusiasts with a global outlook on how to save our ocean by working together more effectively and easily.
Universities are crucial for the acceleration of action for the SDGs, with SDG 4: Quality Education, often seen as key to other SDGs and training the experts needed in the different fields. Specifically for SDG 14, the main areas of impact are Research (on Ocean, Climate), Teaching (Ocean Literacy and Partnerships) and Engagement of the different community groups at and around campus for this important topic. Several initiatives are already underway at universities, and partnerships such as the IAU Global HESD Cluster accelerate action and foster cooperation further.
Two-thirds of the ocean economy’s annual 'gross marine product' comes from assets that rely directly on healthy ocean conditions. Both public and private sector interests can agree that without sustainable industry and a culture of conservation, these assets will evaporate. The private sector therefore has a vested interest as a partner in the delivery of SDG14, both to ensure its own sustainability and as a driver of new business opportunities. Potential partnerships include everything from financing new renewable energy infrastructure in tourist areas, through to developing new technologies and sector practices to reduce marine pollution from shipping and from plastic use. However, in many parts of the world, there is little tradition of corporate responsibility, and few mechanisms or capacity to engage with business to collectively develop such win-win partnerships.
The side event shows how multi-stakeholder partnerships centred around the SDGs can be put into practice by finding common goals and denominators. However, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to partnerships. The path towards transformation for a more sustainable future starts with collaboration and discussion, therefore, this session invites the participants in the room to engage and will conclude with a call to action.
The official summary is published here.
Announcements
Official summary of event now available here.