Back to Blue, a joint initiative by Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation, recently released a report on marine chemical pollution titled ‘The Invisible Wave: Getting to zero chemical pollution in the ocean‘. The 260-page report aims to raise awareness of the urgent topic by mapping out current knowledge, research gaps and recommendations for various stakeholders. I think that this comprehensive report has many insightful findings on marine chemical pollution. Hence I will be breaking parts of the report down in the next few blog posts for easier understanding and I will also be sharing some of my thoughts.
Interestingly, the report starts off with an ‘imagined scenario’ of the state of the world’s oceans in 2045 (pg 1-4). Based on historical and scientific evidence, as well as current projections, the scenario depicts successful management and restoration of seas in Asia, with effective regulations targeted at chemical pollution sources leading to the recovery of coastal habitats and marine species. On the other hand, the scenario showed that efforts in other parts of the world did not all turn out as successful as those in Asia, due to insufficient legislation or growing populations resulting in higher levels of waste.
Upon reading this scenario, I was incredibly surprised but also encouraged to learn that Asia was leading in its approach to tackling marine chemical pollution. In terms of environmental policy and action, I have always had the notion that countries in the Global North are the top performers. After all, the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway have the highest rankings on the Climate Change Performance Index of 2022. The 2045 scenario presented in the report goes to show that high economic growth in developing countries does not necessarily have to be associated with environmental pollution and degradation. Emerging economies can prosper while ensuring that industrialisation and urban development is well-managed and not detrimental to the environment.
Apart from national policies, the scenario also mentions international efforts that will have helped to curb marine chemical pollution by 2045. This includes the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which is currently bringing together various stakeholders to further advance research and partnerships in ocean science for the development of science-based solutions. It also predicts the creation of global treaties on marine chemical pollution and mining waste (including deep-sea mining) in 2028 and 2033 respectively. To read about the promising rise in global action in the coming years fills me with hope for the future, as well as stirs up in my heart a powerful motivation to contribute to the climate movement. Whilst I am still discovering my strengths and purpose, I highly look forward to making a positive impact on the world through my future career and I hope to attend and contribute to COP one day (my career goal)!
Cheers,
Sarah
References
Back to Blue (n.d.). About Back to Blue. Retrieved from https://backtoblueinitiative.com/about/ on 12 March 2022.
Carmichael, R. & Brown, J. (2022). The Invisible Wave: Getting to zero chemical pollution in the ocean. Back to Blue, Retrieved from https://backtoblueinitiative.com/marine-chemical-pollution-the-invisible-wave/ on 12 March 2022.
Climate Change Performance Index (2022). CCPI Ranking 2022. Retrieved from https://ccpi.org/ranking/ on 12 March 2022.
United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (n.d.). The Ocean Decade – the science we need for the ocean we want. Retrieved from https://www.oceandecade.org/ on 12 March 2022.