Because we live on a Blue Planet

COP27 Park Regency, Sharm El-Sheikh November 11, 2022
Programming Partner
Presented By
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The ocean is our biggest ally in mitigating climate change, but it’s also bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. It’s time the ocean takes center stage in the global agenda to protect our blue planet.

Sign the Ocean x Climate Appeal

The Ocean:

Covers 70% of the planet

Absorbs over 30% of global CO2 Emissions

Absorbs over 90% of the heat from global warming

Produces over 70% of the Earth's oxygen

The Ocean x Climate Summit

On 11 November 2022, Oceanic Global and partners will host an all-day Summit at the Park Regency in Sharm El-Sheikh, to immerse global stakeholders in the importance and potential of the ocean within the climate change narrative, and to support multi stakeholder action for the ocean and all it sustains.

About The
Ocean x Climate Summit

The inaugural Ocean x Climate Summit was programmed in partnership with IOC UNESCO, supported by Salesforce and over 12 Community Partner organizations and brought together over 275 guests.

Keynote, Workshops & Performances
Announcements & Solution Spotlights
International & Local Speakers
Networking & Community Building

Featured Speakers

Nathalie Kelley

Actress & Activist

John Vermilye

Project Director, Fair Carbon
Co-Chair, Mission Blue

Whitney Johnston

Director of Ocean Sustainability,
Salesforce

Ralph Chami

Assistant Director,
International Monetary Fund

Forbi Perise Nyosa

African Regional Representatives, Sustainable Ocean Alliance & Global Plastic Action Partnership

Arizona Muse

Founder, DIRT.charity
Model and Sustainability Consultant

Whaia

Sonic Weaver, Aotearoa / New Zealand

Racquel Moses

UNFCCC Global Ambassador; Chief Executive Officer, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator

Kate Brown

Executive Director, Global Island Partnership

AY Young

Founder, Battery Tour
UN Young leader for SDGs

Highlights

The Summit was programmed in partnership with IOC UNESCO, supported by Salesforce and over 12 community partner organizations.

In the spirit of inclusivity, the Summit was free for all who attended and brought together over 275 guests.

The day-long program featured a diverse group of over 50 global thought leaders including indigenous wisdom keepers, government officials, private sector exectuives, non-profit sector leaders, youth activists, and United Nations partners.

In addition to thought leadership, the event incorporated immersive musical and artistic performances by Joshua Miller AY Young.

Several public launches from participants including short-film premieres by OceanX and Dirt Charity.

Exhibitions included 'UN's 7 Principles of Ocean Literacy' digital photo exhibition by The Ocean Decade and The Ocean Agency and the official debut of 'The Heart of Okeanos, the world's first-ever carbon sink sculpture by artist Petroc Sest for The Reefline project.

Program Segment Videos

Full Lineup & Schedule

Opening Remarks & Performance

10:00 AM

High-level speakers will open the Ocean x Climate Summit with remarks on the intention of the event to center the ocean on the climate agenda.

  • Featured Performance: Joshua Sam Miller Sounds of the Ocean
  • Host: Lea d’Auriol Founder and Executive Director, Oceanic Global
  • Vladimir Ryabinin Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO & Assistant Director-General, UNESCO
  • Dr. Sylvia Earle President & Co-Chair, Mission Blue

Blue Horizons: Promise & Potential for the Future of Our Ocean

10:30 AM

Scientific discovery, ocean exploration, and technological innovation all demonstrate how the ocean is our greatest ally in addressing climate change.

  • Moderator: Alejandro Alba Senior Correspondent, NowThis
  • Racquel Moses UNFCCC Global Ambassador; Chief Executive Officer, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
  • Jojo Mehta Co-Founder & Executive Director, Stop Ecocide International
  • Lisa Levin Professor emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego; Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative
  • Dr. Carol O'Donnell Director, Smithsonian Science Education Center
  • Holly Glover Division Director of Advancement and Partnerships + Egyptian Students, Smithsonian Science Education Center
  • Yoko Watanabe Global Manager, UNDP GEF Small Grants Program
  • Vincent PieriboneVice President, OceanX

Fireside Chat: Island Nations Taking Action

11:25 AM
  • Henk Rogers Founder, Blue Planet Alliance
  • H.E. Ambassador Samuelu Laloniu Permanent Mission of Tuvalu

A Thing of the Past: Imagining a World without Plastic

11:35 AM

Both bottom-up grassroots initiatives and top-down approaches like a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to combat our plastic pollution crisis.

  • Moderator: Arizona Muse Founder, DIRT.charity; Model; Sustainability Consultant
  • Forbi Perise Eyong African Regional Representatives, Sustainable Ocean Alliance & Plastic Action Champion, Global Plastic Action Partnership, World Economic Forum
  • Tim GrabielSenior Lawyer & Policy Advisor

Building Resilience: Localized Action Against a Changing Climate

12:00 PM

Multi-stakeholder engagement and collective action at a localized level, in both islands and cities, is critical for creating long-term systemic change and to inspire others to follow suit.

  • Moderator: Kate Brown Executive Director, Global Island Partnership
  • Mayor Mary-Jean Te Mayor, Municipality of Libertad, Antique, Philippines
  • David Obura Director, CORDIO East Africa
  • Daniel Lin Pasifika Storytelling Lead, Nia Tero
  • Sefanaia Nawadra Director General of SPREP
  • Petroc Sesti Artist, The Reefline Project
  • Natasha Berg BoD, Director of Strategic Communications & Partnerships, Oceanic Global

Lunch Served

1:00 PM

Roundtable: Creating a Common Agenda for our Shared Ocean

1:30 PM

This roundtable dialogue is an opportunity to create and support oceans and nature-based solutions in the COP27 negotiations and beyond.

  • Remarks By:
  • Joanna Post Programme Management Officer, Secretariat of the UNFCCC
  • Angelique Pouponneau Deputy Fellowship Director & Policy Advisor, Alliance of Small Island States
  • Loreley Picourt Executive Director, Ocean & Climate Platform
  • Professor Amr Hamouda President of National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research
  • Co-Facilitators:
  • Alison Clausen Programme Specialist IOC-UNESCO, Deputy Coordinator UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
  • Courtney Fieldman UN High Level Champion: SIDS Breakthrough Lead
  • Valentina Germani Senior Legal Officer, Programme Advisor, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

The Power of Listening

2:30 PM

Reframing climate conversations to center on wisdom.

  • Moderator: Nathalie Kelley Actress & Activist
  • Whaia Sonic Weaver; Ngāti Kahugnunu, Aotearoa, New Zealand
  • Dr. Rajendra Singh Chairman, Tarun Bharat Sangh; "Waterman of India"
  • Teresa de Jesus & Pomaquero Minta The Eagle and the Condor & Earthrise Collective; Quechua, Ecuador

Tides Are Changing: A New Approach to Tourism and Land Management

3:35 PM

The tourism industry has the potential to be a critical ally in building climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through driving behavior change and engaging directly with frontline communities.

  • Keynote: Andrea Belén & Stephen Brooks Co-Founders, Eterna Communities
  • Cassia Patel Director of Programs, Oceanic Global
  • Jeremy Smith Climate Specialist, Travel Foundation
  • Keynote: Yoshioka Tatsuya Founder & Director, Peace Boat Ecoship

On the Rise: Harnessing the Potential of the Ocean Economy

4:00 PM

Addressing climate change will require a shift to an alternative economic model that regenerates our natural world by harnessing the power of nature itself as a climate solution.

  • Moderator: Sophia Li Journalist & United Nations Human Rights Champion

The value of a living ocean to our health and economic well being

4:10 PM
  • Keynote: Ralph Chami Assistant Director, International Monetary Fund; Co-Founder Blue Green Future and Co-Founder Rebalance Earth

The Future of Blue Carbon

4:30 PM

Blue Carbon is a key topic at this COP. This discussion will pull together the main issues and provide clarity on what needs to be done to unlock the potential of Blue Carbon.

  • Moderator: John Vermilye Fair Carbon; Gallifrey Foundation; Co-Chair Mission Blue
  • Dr. Whitney Johnston Director of Ocean Sustainability, Salesforce
  • Nicholas Hardman Mountford Head of Oceans and Natural Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat
  • Dr. Josheena Naggea André Hoffmann Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and World Economic Forum; UNFCCC COP27 Nature Solidarity Fund Recipient

Closing Remarks & Performance

5:00 PM
  • Featured Performance: AY Young Artist; Founder of Battery Tour; UN Young leader for SDGs
  • Lea d'Auriol Executive Director & Founder, Oceanic Global

The Ocean x Climate Appeal

Use Your Voice. Sign the The Ocean x Climate appeal to commit to doing your part to amplify visibility for the ocean-climate nexus, and helping to place the ocean center stage in the global climate agenda.

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Shared Ocean Agenda

Signup to participate in the bi-annual roundtables series designed to foster inclusive dialogue, drive a strong ocean-climate focus on the agenda within the UNFCCC processes as well as other relevant UN processes and global convenings.

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Community Partners