2025 WEF Highlights Ocean Conservation

January 31, 2025 | 0 Comments

[Written by Patrice Horner]

At this week’s plethora of meetings in Davos Switzerland for the 2025 World Economic Forum, the ones at the Hub Culture Icon Building were particularly relevant for Bermuda. Two focused on oceans. A third panel on the final day of the Forum included an interview with President Trump’s recently appointed head of the Environmental Taskforce which was published yesterday. It focused on the economic value of improving the environment, with the two Ocean Panels also revealing the value to be captured.

Rewilding The Ocean

Putting the Ocean First- A Call for Action for a Thriving Blue Future was of course first. The founder of Rewilding Earth Rob Harding pointed out that there needs to be ‘Reef to Shore rewilding’, that building upon biodiverse shorelines and seashores. “Corals grow twice as fast with sea birds” he as they fertilize the sea with their droppings. Rewilding the oceans foster where the land meets the sea. “Coastal wetlands are incredibly important in supporting biodiversity.”

Davos Switzerland Patrice Horner Bermuda Jan 2025 (1)

To have real impact local people have to do the work. Local Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] are leading the way. “It comes down to relationships and trust.” Debt conversion swaps have gotten the approval of fisherman and will relieve the financial pressure for debt-laden countries. The savings in sovereign debt costs are then spent on local projects. Jermey has engaged with Bahamas on a series of projects. A marine reserve was designated in 1998 in Galapagos. Rewilding in the Galapagos increased the sea-stock and improved the fishermen’s catch.

‘Oceana’ started 2016, created on the concept of collaboration at a green root level. The strategy is to link the narratives of oceans and climate. The oceans represent 95% of the global biosphere notes Oceana. Science is focused on the connection between the land and the sea. With potential solutions evolving, we are still missing the capacity building within countries, as well as how to engage government and business to create scalable solutions.

Davos Switzerland Patrice Horner Bermuda Jan 2025 (2)

Oceana developed the ‘Blue Standard’ to change use of plastics in the hospitality industries. It has been adopted in 55 countries totalling 400 companies. The concept came surrounding the deliberations surrounding legislation to protect the seas. The global High Seas Treaty was agreed in 2023, some 20 years after the Law of the Seas was created. Timely issues can be leveraged to raise consciousness, such as the legislation now underway on plastic waste.

“Wonder’ is the topic of 2025 UN Oceans Day this June. “Wonder is why we love the ocean in the first place.” Although natures will rebound if allowed to rest and restore, we need to give it the space, such as reducing plastics and other pollutants. The emphasis has been about the CO2 in the Green House Gases [GHG] and not the biodiversity. “We need to act as the keystone species and not as separate to it.” emphasized Oceana. All institutions are beginning to engage with this blue-green thread of flow of thought.

The Blue Green Future

Davos Switzerland Patrice Horner Bermuda Jan 2025 (3)

Dinah Nieburg Director of the Blue Green Future noted ‘Science, finance, and the market are engaged”. Now progress must accelerate. The panel on The Existence Fund: Investing in Nature” presented four different projects. Jerome McKane is CEO of OC.ai. It is a sandbox for Small Island Nations [SIDs] to measure ocean-based economies. He asked, ‘What is the performance of the actions.” The British Virgin Islands [BVI] is a pristine ocean environment. It is part of the global target to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. He is devising something with whole nation that can be scaled up. He collaborated with Richard Branson, a resident of BVI who is not short on vision. McKane created the a ‘Constellation’. The Blue New Futures has over 12 companies, such as PwC is the lead financial advisor on this new asset class.

Sarah Murphy, Director of the Savory Institute, is rewilding US grass lands to bring the back bison. They are recognized by the Environment Outcome Verification [EOV] process. The Savory Institute reports that 70% of earth is meant to be grassland. They are underway to ‘rematriate’ the bison with 93 different indigenous tribes in the US. This will lead to change the management of land and animals led by Indigenous peoples. Improvement in water infiltration, species health, and growth in biodiversity are the Key Performance Indicators [KPIs]. Holist land management can increase water retention by 30% which increases the productivity and the tangible value of the land. There is a need for grazing animals to support healthy soil and the overall ecosystem. Take that to the bank.

Davos Switzerland Patrice Horner Bermuda Jan 2025 (4)

Another of discussions centred on Blue Carbon International [BCI], led by Wells Howe. He is working with Bahamas to expand sea grass proliferation. It will be “A North Star’ for countries to follow in providing ecosystem services” claims Wells. “Sea grass is a primary nutrient for 90% of the fish stock.” It protects the environment during storms and it breathes, generating oxygen. The Bahamas represent 30% of the seagrass in the world, according to BCI. It is undertaking Public-Private-Partnerships [PPP] with a sovereign wealth fund. There have strict covenants or requirements to invest in sea restoration charted by law.

The local service providers undertake the work in the regions to allow capital to flow into the Bahamas. ‘Centigrade’ provides a utility platform integral to the service. US Economic Development Agency [EDA] will assess the value of the services to life, with the investment potential to provide decades of improvement. PwC is the financial consultant. Lloyd’s has underwritten the methodology and the contracts for the investments into the Blue Green Futures. They are protected throughout the Commonwealth.

Davos Switzerland Patrice Horner Bermuda Jan 2025 (5)

Dr. Ralph Chami is the Founder of the Blue Green Future and previously with the IMF, he holds the highest recognition as a Planetary Guardian, along with Jane Goodall and Dr Sylvia Earl. He explained that the ‘Flying River’ is the source of most 75% of rainfall in Latin America in the Amazon and 20% of the worlds. The Amazon rainforest is a Flying River massive areas of water vapor now under attack in many ways. It borders Ecuador which is rife with international interests extracting and shipping resources from the region. “What is the value at risk?”, he asks. Dinah concluded the panel stating that Sea Grass in the Bahamas has a estimated worth $150 billion dollars annually with a long list of benefits for the economy as well as by cleaning the ocean for us all. With some $54 billion attributed to is carbon capture and storage, according to a study published in the Biology Letters Journal.

Portfolio – Blue Green Future link: https://bluegreenfuture.org/category/portfolio/.

click here banner environment 2

Read More About

Category: All, Environment

Leave a Reply