The Asia-Pacific is the region that is perhaps most vulnerable to climate change and ocean degradation, being heavily dependent on the seas for food provision and economic development. Challenges with pollution, climate change impacts, biodiversity loss and patchy governance, among others, make the transition to a sustainable ocean economy in the Asia-Pacific complex and occasionally even daunting. At the same time, the global conversation on the ocean typically happens elsewhere.
The summit will cover the length and breadth of the sustainable ocean economy with sessions on governance, climate change, finance, supply chains, innovation and technology, shipping, tourism, fishing and aquaculture. A key theme for the summit will be marine pollution and addressing the problems of plastics and chemicals in the ocean.
SPC Director-General, Dr. Stuart Minchin, will take part in the Panel Discussion 'Giving Pacific SIDS a voice in the global ocean discussion' panel on 30 November 2022.