This past year has been eventful for the ocean. 

Sustainable blue economy was a central theme for global conferences: the UN High Seas Treaty negotiation success, the UN Ocean Conference in Portugal leading to the CBD Biodiversity COP15 in Montreal, the One Ocean Summit in France, Canada hosting IMPAC5, the Our Ocean conference in Panama; all without forgetting the climate COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, as well as the Convention on Wetlands. 

Countries and companies alike have pledged enormous amounts of money for ocean conservation. Most recently, UN member states agreed to create new and special funds for the Global Biodiversity Framework established at COP15 and for implementing the newly agreed treaty to protect biodiversity on the high seas.  

What are we to make of all this? Will these commitments translate into real actions? Are governments taking definitive steps to protect our ocean, or is this all a lot of hot air?  

In this episode, Minna Epps – standing in for Dorothée – is talking to high-level guests about the key actions taken in the ocean conservation and finance space in 2022, as well as the next steps the world must take to make the necessary investments happen. 

With thanks to Dr David Cooper, acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; and Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, French Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Issues. 

Investing For Ocean Impact is a Fresh Air Production on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It is presented by Dorothée Herr and Minna Epps, and produced by Phil Sansom, with production assistance from Anthony Hobson.