Earth Day 2017: Protecting Our Planet
On Earth Day 2017, hundreds of thousands of people will participate in marches across the globe, supporting science and various other forms of environmental action in what will be one of the most publicly active Earth Days in history. Numerous events have been planned in effort to support environmental actions and conservation across the globe, including the U.S. “March for Science,” which has spread to eight European countries.
The European Union in particular has risen to the worldwide call to action. 2016 was an unprecedented year for environmental action in the EU. Sparked by the commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, the EU set forward a number of legislative proposals and actions to achieve climate and energy goals and pave the way towards a low carbon and resilient economy. These included reducing EU emissions by 20%, increasing EU renewable energy by 20%, and improving energy efficiency by 20% — all by 2020. EU engagement in environmental policies is not new — the first Environment Action plans and legislation were drafted in the 1970s. Today, the EU is engaged in a number of initiatives to address air pollution, promote climate action, create a circular economy, and protect biodiversity and ecosystems.
And while each of these efforts has impressive measures outlined to support its targets, 2017 will especially see an increased effort in the protection of this final element, biodiversity and ecosystems — especially in the form of our oceans. As announced at the 2016 Our Ocean conference in Washington D.C., the EU will host the 2017 “Our Ocean” conference in Malta on October 5–6, 2017, where world leaders will set forth visions and invest in solutions to reduce marine pollution, manage aquatic resources sustainability, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and set up marine sanctuaries across the globe.
With over 1 billion people relying on seafood as their primary source of animal protein and millions of jobs relying on the global market of fisheries, the recent threats to the world’s oceans compromise both food and job security. Meanwhile, increased illegal fishing and decreased support for marine protected areas continues to endanger biodiversity and reduce economic resources.
The “Our Ocean” conference seeks strong commitments to tackle critical issues, focusing on four specific areas of action: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Climate Change, Sustainable Fisheries, and Marine Pollution. To date, “Our Ocean” has been effective in directly improving the health of the world’s oceans. Since 2014, it has brought about 250 concrete actions across the globe, raised over €8.2 billion in funds, and designated over 9.9 million kilometers for new MPAs.
Just like the scheduled events for this upcoming Earth Day, the EU’s “Our Ocean” conference is evidence of the increase in global activism that has surged to combat climate change and its many, many negative effects. From those who will participate in the March for Science on April 22nd to those who will attend the conference on October 5th and 6th, one uniting ideal has become clear: the interest of the planet is in the interest of everyone. And as the goals declared in “Our Ocean” states, we hope to adapt and work with nature — not against it.
The “Our Ocean” conference will take place October 5–6 in Valletta, Malta. Visit ourocean2017.org and watch this video to learn more:
Written by EUintheUS intern Travis Smith.
