Friends of Ocean Action announces PML’s Prof. Steve Widdicombe as new member

21 September 2023

PML’s Director of Science and Co-Chair of GOA-ON (Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network) Professor Steve Widdicombe has been appointed as a new member of the “Friends of Ocean Action” - an informal group of ocean leaders convened by the Ocean Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum.

The members are drawn from business, civil society, international organizations, science and technology for their commitment to fast-tracking solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the ocean. 

The group is co-chaired by Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean and Isabella Lövin, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and supported by funding from Marc and Lynne Benioff (as part of the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California Santa Barbara) and the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Its mission is: “to use our knowledge, means and influence to help the international community take the urgent steps needed to conserve and sustainably use our ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.
 
Professor Widdicombe said: “I’m delighted to join the Friends of Ocean Action and look forward to working closely with the partners involved to help drive forward the vital work required to ensure a more sustainable future for our Ocean. The impacts of human activity on the marine environment are becoming ever more apparent and it is vital we accelerate our ambition and action in tackling key challenges, particularly in how we limit and mitigate the effects of climate change and address issues around how the Ocean is managed.” 
 
Friends of Ocean Action supports the four impact areas of the Ocean Action Agenda:

• Blue Food

Elevating and securing the long-term role of blue food as a primary source of livelihoods, cultural values, and nutrition for society.

• Business and Policy transformation

Through cross-cutting projects and leveraging the convening power of the World Economic Forum, this impact area drives the business and policy transformations needed to accelerate ocean health and promote a sustainable ocean economy that supports nature, people and climate.

• Climate and Resilience

Through developing public-private collaborations that address pressing policy, economic and scientific questions, this impact area unlocks the long-term contributions of the ocean to climate-change mitigation and the resilience of coastal communities.

• Ocean innovation

The Forum hosts 1000 Ocean Startups (a coalition to accelerate ocean innovation for ocean health) and UpLink Ocean (a digital crowd-engagement platform that connects entrepreneurs and champions with impactful solutions making progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)).
 
For more information: https://www.weforum.org/friends-of-ocean-action