Sustainable Ocean Summit Brings Ocean Executives Together
The World Ocean Council’s Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) 2016 featured a rich, robust agenda filled with ocean industry leaders and international experts covering the key ocean sustainable development topics affecting the future of responsible ocean business. With the theme of 'Ocean 2030: Sustainable Development Goals and the Ocean Business Community', the SOS delivered a mix of ocean information, analysis, insight and dialogue from 30 November to 2 December 2016 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The programme was loaded and the day started with the Ocean Executive Forum: A plenary dialogue among the CEOs of 11 ocean industry sectors – a convening of industry leaders talking about trends, geographies, assumptions, opportunities and constraints during the 15 years to come. Amongst them were Graham Hine (Liquid Robotics), Alain Bernard (DEME) and Ivar Fossum (Nordic Mining).
The days further brought authoritative presentations on the 15-year projections for 14 ocean business sectors – many delivered by the heads of global industry associations; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A review of the SDGs and what they mean for ocean industries, along with proposed ocean industry SDG targets and indicators – and an entire SOS programme in which each session was linked to the SDGs; an Ocean Investment Platform: The launch of a new, comprehensive framework to bring investors, ocean industries and innovators together around the financing needs and opportunities of ocean sustainable development.
Looking into the Future
During the second day, the leadership dug down into The Digital Ocean: High-level forecasting and analysis of the benefits of ubiquitous ocean data and how this can best contribute to sustainable development and maritime security; A Brand New Tool for Ship Efficiency (in partnership with Carbon War Room): The launch of a transparent and free tool to help those using the shipping industry as part of their supply chain to understand and improve efficiency.
Young Ocean Professional network represented a workshop to launch a global effort to bring together tomorrow’s ocean industry leaders from around the world and across the sectors – around the challenges of Corporate Ocean Responsibility.
Added to these sessions, workshops were scheduled around specific and current-day subjects.
