Bloomberg Philanthropies and REV Ocean hosted a high profile event with participation from over 100 CEOs and dignitaries from the public and the private sector who are directly or indirectly linked to oceans, ranging from technology to energy, construction, insurance and shipping.
The Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, founder and chair of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy opened the event, followed by inspirational speeches from Patti Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean.
The gathering helped build momentum for private sector engagement following the Climate Action Summit at the UN General Assembly in September and emphasised ocean solutions ahead of the upcoming “Blue” COP in Chile in December 2019.
The theme throughout the evening was that we can turn the tide on ocean degradation together. The ocean is a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem that can bounce back with the help of robust data, science-based action and strong partnerships.
We need to focus on solutions, not problems, on actions that do good, and not only feel good. We know private sector actors must, can and will be part of the solutions to ensure that key ocean ecosystems, and the companies relying on them, can survive and thrive.