Events

The Economist Impact’s World Ocean Tech and Innovation Summit will convene innovators, business leaders, thought leaders, and investors to learn about and engage with the latest “blue economy” innovators and technologies, and identify solutions that will form the roadmap to a sustainable, thriving ocean economy. Taking place in Halifax, Canada, the two-day program will showcase local innovations that have the potential to be scaled globally, and welcome international business leaders, investors and scientists to share learnings and unleash new opportunities for cross-border partnership and investment.

Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather at OCEANS 2022 Hampton Roads event to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science. Patrons will hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward. This year’s theme is Resilient Coasts: Adapting Today to Secure Tomorrow.

The World Ocean Council is partnering with the City and the Port of Barcelona to develop a global Blue Economy hub, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. In celebration of this new partnership, the World Ocean Council (WOC) will host two high-impact ocean events in this vibrant port city: the much-anticipated return of the Sustainable Ocean Summit – SOS 2022, taking place October 17-18; followed by the launch of the Global Blue Finance Summit – BlueFIN 22, WOC’s new forum focused on blue finance, on October 19.

The ocean was a fundamental part of the outcomes of COP26. The Glasgow Climate Pact recognised the ocean under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and proposed annual dialogues on strengthening ocean-based action, which are due to take place before this year’s COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. It’s hoped that more will be committed to ocean climate finance and that the COP process will become “bluer”, integrating ocean action across all levels of negotiations.

The year will end with eyes on the International Conference on Marine Biodiversity, held in Auckland, New Zealand. Drawing together leading academic scientists, researchers and scholars, the conference aims to be a dynamic exchange of intellectual innovations, recent scientific findings and general opportunities and challenges within fields related to marine biodiversity. The conference could highlight science-led pathways that can complement the long-awaited Treaty for the High Seas.

Note: In June 2022, Canada announced that it will host COP15 in December 2022. The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was initially scheduled to take place in October 2020 and has been delayed four times due to the COVID pandemic. The COP15 negotiations are the crucial decision point for adopting a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which currently includes a target to protect at least 30 percent of land and water by 2030. A broad coalition of countries currently support the 30x30 target, though many suggest that sufficient funding and ongoing monitoring will be essential to the long-term success of a potential framework.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) addresses environmental issues under IMO’s remit. This includes the control and prevention of ship-source pollution covered by the MARPOL treaty, including oil, chemicals carried in bulk, sewage, garbage and emissions from ships, including air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Other matters covered include ballast water management, anti-fouling systems, ship recycling, pollution preparedness and response, and identification of special areas and particularly sensitive sea areas. The 79th session of the MEPC in December 2022 will build upon progress from the 78th session taking place in June 2022.

IMPAC is an international forum to discuss marine protected areas (MPAs) that assists in the establishment and management of MPA networks by informing, involving, and influencing stakeholders. The congress happens every four years and brings together marine conservationists, managers, practitioners and scientists from across the world to share their experiences and knowledge of marine conservation and marine protected area establishment.