World Ocean Council

The World Ocean Council brings together ocean industries to create an ocean business community that will catalyze leadership and collaboration in addressing ocean sustainability and stewardship, tackling global marine environmental issues and creating “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”.

The World Ocean Council is the first comprehensive, global, inter-industry organization on ocean sustainability and stewardship. The marine environment and its resources are being impacted by human use at an ever increasing rate and global scale. This is affecting coastal inhabitants and communities worldwide that depend on marine areas for food and livelihood, many of whom are poor and marginalized.

The private sector is the primary ocean user and is best placed to develop and implement the practices needed to ensure marine ecosystem use is sustainable. The oceans are a dynamic, interconnected “commons” for which everyone, and no one, is completely responsible, with few incentives to take on shared environmental problems. Some companies try to do business in a more environmentally sustainable way, but the efforts of one company or even a whole industry sector are not enough to address global, cumulative impacts. The World Ocean Council brings together a wide range of ocean industries, e.g. shipping, oil, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, to address the shared marine environmental issues in support of improved business operations.

The mission of the World Ocean Council is to bring together the “ocean business community” to address ocean sustainability and stewardship at a global level by catalyzing private sector leadership and collaboration in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”.

The goal of the World Ocean Council is a healthy and productive global ocean and its sustainable use and development by a responsible ocean business community.

• Coordinate collaborative efforts to develop science-based solutions to shared marine environmental issues.
• Organize industry working groups to constructively engage with other ocean stakeholders.
• Assist ocean industries to improve environmental performance through best practices and standards.
• Facilitate interaction among sectors to reduce ocean use conflicts.

WORLD OCEAN COUNCIL: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Oceans provide 59% of the world’s ecosystem benefits; nearshore marine areas alone (5% of the Earth’s surface) provide 38% of these global benefits. The global marine environment and its resources are being degraded, destroyed and overexploited at an ever increasing rate and global scale. This is affecting the coastal inhabitants and communities worldwide that depend on marine areas for food and livelihood, as about 37% of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the sea. The ocean’s essential role in regulating climate is being compromised as ocean ecosystem health declines.

The private sector is a primary user of ocean areas and resources. Many businesses are entirely dependent upon ocean resources, services and space, e.g. marine transport, offshore oil and gas, ports, fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and seabed mining. The worldwide economic value of ocean goods and services is estimated at USD 6-21 trillion. Ocean industries such as shipping, oil, fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism are big and are expanding rapidly, bringing ever increasing impacts to the marine environment and its biodiversity. Seaborne shipping accounts for about 90% of global trade. US container shipments quintupled from 1980 to 2006, and worldwide cargo will double or triple by 2020. Cruise ship passenger capacity doubled in the past 20 years and continues to expand. Shipping impacts to marine biodiversity include oil spills from tankers and fuel tanks, invasive species, and waste discharge at sea. Ship borne air pollution is projected to increase 150% over the next 30 years.

Ocean oil industry activity increased 9% in recent years. About 4,000 ocean wells exist around the world and exploration is expanding to ever deeper areas, particularly in many developing countries. Oil and gas industry operations in the marine environment result in a range of impacts from seismic testing, platform spills, drilling waste, etc. In the area of fisheries, human consumption of fish grew from 20 - 85 million ton during 1960 – 2002 and 70% of fish stocks are now considered to be fully exploited or overexploited. Fisheries impacts include over harvesting, excessive by-catch, trawling of ocean bottom habitat and direct and indirect impacts to marine mammals, seabird and other endangered wildlife. Other growing ocean industries include aquaculture, seabed mining, bioprospecting and offshore wind energy — all creating additional impacts and user conflicts. Conflicts are on the rise. For example, territorial skirmishes have erupted between fishers and oil exploration firms off the coast of Norway as fishing vessels and seismic exploration vessels work the same areas.

The private sector is best placed to develop and implement the solutions needed to ensure marine ecosystem use is sustainable and impacts are reduced. The problem is that the oceans are a dynamic, interconnected “commons” for which everyone, and no one, is completely responsible, with few incentives to take on shared environmental problems. Currently, ocean problems are primarily addressed by government regulation, intergovernmental agencies or by advocacy groups raising awareness and confronting industry on a sector- or incident-specific basis (e.g. trawling and oil spills). At the same time, climate change is impacting ocean industries in a variety of ways.

Achieving sustainability in the world’s transboundary, interconnected oceans requires action at the global scale of marine environmental issues by those responsible for the major uses and impacts; i.e. the private sector. Ocean industries are thus best placed to develop shared approaches, but up till now they have not been doing so in a way that addresses the global scale of the problems. Some companies try to do business in a more environmentally sustainable way, but industry efforts are usually piecemeal and often reactive - undertaken by one company in a limited area. The efforts of a single company or even a whole industry sector will not be enough to address global, cumulative impacts on the marine environment at the scope and scale needed.

What is needed is leadership and collaboration in ocean stewardship from responsible companies and industry sectors representing the multi-sectoral “ocean business community”. Our work with the private sector has confirmed that responsible companies want to address marine environmental and climate issues, differentiate themselves from poor performers, collaborate within and across sectors, and engage other ocean stakeholders – but there is no structure and process for companies to work on complex, intertwined, international marine issues.

How is the World Ocean Council different from existing organizations and efforts?

The World Ocean Council creates an unprecedented process for bringing together the diverse global ocean business community and catalyzing inter-industry leadership and collaboration on ocean sustainability and stewardship at a global scale.

The seas know no boundaries and a truly global approach is needed. The business coalitions that are developing cross-sectoral leadership on addressing impacts to the atmospheric “commons” provide a good analogy for the need and opportunity for a similar approach to the global ocean “commons”.

The trade associations that bring together ocean industry companies do so along sectoral lines, e.g. shipping, oil and gas, fisheries. Some of these associations deal with sustainability in part, but do so in isolation from other ocean users. There are other organizations that work on corporate social responsibility and business/environment issues, but they do not address the unique needs of the transboundary marine environment and the businesses operating in the global ocean. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a UN body that brings together governments around the issues of maritime safety and ocean environmental issues, but with a focus on shipping-related activities.

Many national ocean policies or marine area planning efforts seek to address the range of ocean users, but they are limited to their one nation’s marine area, and are not able to regulate activities in neighboring waters or on the high seas. There is no international body that addresses the broad range of ocean industries and activities and seeks to bring these diverse industries together around the sustainability of the seas.

The World Ocean Council is bringing together the diverse ocean business community to develop cross-sectoral programs to improve the health of the oceans and reduce environmental impacts. The World Ocean Council will:

• Coordinate collaborative efforts to develop science-based solutions to shared marine environmental issues.

The WOC will foster collaboration among industry leaders in sustainability to determine priorities and develop the science and solutions to shared environmental issues, e.g. ship “strikes” on whales, impacts of sound on marine life, shipboard waste discharges, vessel recycling. Result: Solutions developed to address priority shared marine environmental problems, as measured by the resources committed, the number of projects conducted, the solutions implemented, and the reduction or elimination of specific industry impacts to the marine environment.

• Organize industry working groups to constructively engage with other ocean stakeholders.

The WOC will convene industry working groups on priority issues to develop business understanding of, and contribution to, solutions that industry will support, e.g., develop industry input to multi-stakeholder negotiations on high seas marine protected areas (MPAs); organize industry involvement in major international, multi-stakeholder fora, e.g., NGO workshops on MPAs, the annual UN Law of the Sea meetings, to create better interaction and progress in addressing global marine environment issues. Result: Industry leadership on resolving on priority ocean issues, as measured by positive industry input and participation in solutions to major international ocean issues; Improved industry interaction with other ocean stakeholders, as measured by the long term resolution of contentious issues with other groups and the number of companies complying with international requirements.

• Assist ocean industries to improve environmental performance through best practices and standards.

The WOC will work with companies to determine their “ocean footprint” and develop Corporate Ocean Responsibility policies and ocean sustainability strategies; Document and disseminate case studies and best practices in Corporate Ocean Responsibility, e.g. case studies on determining the impacts and creating an ocean sustainability strategy, case studies in best practices for partnerships with ocean NGOs. Result: Ocean sustainability becomes a priority for ocean-related companies, as measured by the number of companies documenting and reducing their “ocean footprint”, implementing ocean sustainability strategies and actions, reducing their impacts through efforts beyond minimal compliance, and publicly reporting results.

• Facilitate interaction among sectors to reduce ocean use conflicts.

The WOC will create a multi-industry context for the exchange of information and developing of relationships among industries. There will be opportunities for dialogue and developing mutual understanding on specific ocean use conflicts among industries and working on protocols and best practices for avoiding and resolving user conflicts. Result: Better understanding among industries of ocean use requirements, reduced conflict in use of the marine environment, improved ocean industry collaboration and contribution to ocean planning.

• Economic benefits of collaboration in developing solutions to shared, pre-competitive issues. Collective efforts to undertake research and development on issues affecting a range of industries will create economies of scale, reduce transaction costs and leverage other funds to address the issues that threaten continued industry activities.
• Reduced risks due to improved understanding of ocean issues and stakeholders. Better knowledge of the marine environmental issues and processes important to other stakeholders and the public, and improved relations with those stakeholders, will reduce the possibility of unforeseen campaigns and negative publicity affecting business operations.
• Increased participation in international ocean policy developments. Ocean industry involvement in key national and international ocean policy and management fora will be facilitated by a regular flow of information on these from the WOC to its constituents and the coordinating of industry participation, as appropriate.
• Increased recognition of industry actions on ocean sustainability and stewardship. The WOC will generate credibility, visibility and global presence for the marine environment sustainability programs and activities of responsible companies and industry groups.
• Sharing of pre-competitive best practices in marine environmental responsibility. Responsible companies will be able to learn from the experience and practices of other ocean industries in addressing environmental and social issues, stakeholder relations, partnerships, etc.
• Reduced user conflicts with other industries. Participating companies and industries will benefit from the opportunity to meet and interact with colleagues from other ocean industries. Increased and improved relationships among ocean business sectors will enhance the potential for inter-industry conflicts to be avoided or minimized before they create economic or other impacts.

It has become increasingly clear that aligning business interests with sustainability goals was an essential part of achieving a lasting and comprehensive approach to ocean ecosystem health. While co-leading the Global Marine Program of IUCN-The World Conservation Union in the mid-1990s, outreach to ocean industries revealed that many wanted to be good corporate ocean citizens were doing what they could. Many were interested in developing inter-industry leadership and collaboration as a way to better address ocean issues, but saw no means to make this happen. The need and opportunity for an industry alliance on ocean sustainability became clear and compelling.

From 2000, the building of a network of ocean-related companies concerned with the health of the marine environment was advanced by organizing private sector panels at the biennial multi-stakeholder Global Oceans Conferences held at UNESCO. The industry panelists were motivated by the opportunity to meet colleagues concerned about ocean stewardship from other sectors, and encouraged expanding the means for marine industry interaction. Building on this, international Business and Industry Leaders Roundtables on Ocean Sustainability were twice convened (Lisbon, 2005; Paris, 2006), at which participants further encouraged creation of an ongoing means for industry interaction on ocean issues.

With this interest and momentum from the emerging ocean business community, in late-2007 efforts began to more formally bring the World Ocean Council to reality.

The WOC has been moving forward with a growing portfolio of activities on private sector ocean sustainability and stewardship, leveraging interest, partnerships and in-kind support, working with industry leaders in and developing industry interaction with other stakeholders, including:

• Making an invited plenary presentation on “Corporate Ocean Responsibility” at the 3-yearly International Ocean Institute conference on the Law of the Sea (Pacem im Maribus) (Malta, November 2007).
• Organizing a WOC international workshop on inter-industry collaboration on port environments as part of the “Green Port/Eco Ports” annual conference (Amsterdam, February 2008). (WOC workshop speakers included the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping. An inter-industry working group on the port marine environment is under development as follow up).
• Developing regular interaction and involvement of numerous global industry associations (oil and gas, shipping, tankers, fisheries, aquaculture, etc.) and reviewing global ocean environmental issues and stakeholders for some sectors.
• Developing partnerships with the UN Division on Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (DOALOS), the UN Global Compact and other UN ocean agencies.
• Working on international guidelines for sustainable aquaculture and certification for several foundations, international NGOs and the UN agencies.
• Making an invited plenary presentation on “Corporate Ocean Responsibility” at the International Seminar on High Seas Governance and Biodiversity (Monaco, March, 2008).
• Organizing a seminar on industry leadership and collaboration in ocean conservation for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the Conference of Parties (Bonn, May 2008). (Speakers included the Secretary General of the World Wind Energy Association).

A substantial inter-industry meeting to design collaborative programs and activities will be held in New York (June 24-25 2008) in conjunction with the annual UN consultations on oceans. As part of this, there will also be: 1) a meeting between ocean industry leaders and the “UN Oceans” (the UN inter-agency coordinating unit of marine affairs) and 2) an ocean industry ‘side-event’ with the UN delegates and NGOs that are focused on ocean issues, to help familiarize the governments and NGOs engaged in the UN ocean deliberations with pro-active industry efforts on ocean stewardship.

- Vaclav Mikulka, Director, United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea

“Managing the global oceans requires the involvement of all stakeholders, especially the private sector, and all ocean industries have a responsibility to help maintain the health and productivity of the marine environment. The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global ‘ocean business community’ to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans.”

- Michael Grey, Lloyd’s List

“[I]f we are thinking globally, oceanically and collectively, rather than considering our own narrow industry requirements, the World Ocean Council could be a very good idea". “[It] could provide just the sort of co-operative inter-industry vehicle we need.”

“Sharing the Seas”. Lloyd’s List – the leading maritime and transport news journal. 10 March 2008.

“Catalyzing Global ‘Corporate Ocean Responsibility’”. Business 2010 (Business and Biodiversity Newsletter of the Convention on Biological Diversity). April, 2008, pages 28-29.

“Addressing Ocean Sustainability”. Green Port Journal. May/June 2008, pages 30-31.

The World Ocean Council was registered in the US in early 2008 as a nonprofit project under the Trust for Conservation Innovation (an IRS tax-exempt 501 c 3 organization). The WOC will become an independent non-profit non-governmental organization registered in the US and the UK.

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