7 d. ago Prince William calls for more united action on the global environmental crisis as he opens London Climate Week

The heir to the throne spoke out during a panel discussion at the start of London Climate Week as he highlighted the 'optimism' of his passion project, the Earthshot Prize.

Politics

3 w. ago New Zealand is failing to protect its vast ocean resources. We owe it to the world to act | Helen Clark and Kayla Kingdon

Less than 1% of our country’s seas are highly protected and the damaging practice of bottom-trawling must be restrictedIt’s a remarkable feat that a small, isolated island nation of just five million people has managed to stake a claim to one of the largest ocean territories in the world.New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) spans more than 4m square kilometres – an area 15 times the size of our landmass.Rt Hon Helen Clark is a former prime minister of New Zealand, and former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb is chief executive of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) New Zealand. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago World must move from ‘plunder to protection’ to save oceans, UN chief warns

Speaking at France summit, António Guterres called for bold pledges to stop deep sea from becoming ‘wild west’Nations must move from “plunder to protection” in order to save the world’s seas from crisis, the UN chief, António Guterres, told the ocean summit on Monday.All countries must come forward with “bold pledges” including a biodiversity target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, to tackle plastic pollution, overfishing and for greater governance of the high seas, he said at the opening ceremony. Guterres also stressed the importance of multilateralism and warned, in an apparent swipe at the US, which was not present at the conference: “The deep sea cannot become the wild west.” Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – study

Ocean acidification has already crossed a crucial threshold for planetary health, scientists say in unexpected findingMore on this story: The scientists warning the world about ocean acidification – ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis The world’s oceans are in worse health than realised, scientists have said today, as they warn that a key measurement shows we are “running out of time” to protect marine ecosystems.Ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, is caused when carbon dioxide is rapidly absorbed by the ocean, where it reacts with water molecules leading to a fall in the pH level of the seawater. It damages coral reefs and other ocean habitats and, in extreme cases, can dissolve the shells of marine creatures. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago As the UN Ocean Conference opens in France, a push to turn promises into protection

The U.N. Ocean Conference is opening in France as pressure mounts to turn promises into action on protecting the ocean

Politics

3 w. ago Prince William calls for urgent action to save world’s oceans ‘diminishing before our eyes’

‘This challenge is like none we have faced before,’ Prince of Wales says in Monaco speech

Politics

3 w. ago Prince William calls for urgent global action to save oceans

‘The ocean is under enormous threat, but it can revive itself. Only if together, we act now’

Politics

3 w. ago Prince William calls for the world to 'act with urgency' to save the oceans in landmark speech

The Prince of Wales, 42, attended the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Sunday.

Politics

3 w. ago Prince William calls for urgent global action on ocean protection

‘The ocean is under enormous threat, but it can revive itself. Only if together, we act now’

Politics

3 w. ago ‘It’s goodbye to French fishermen’: Macron under pressure as crucial UN ocean summit opens

As delegates prepare for the global gathering, the president is caught between opposing sides in a row over bottom trawling in France’s marine protected areasOn his trawler in Saint-Malo, one of France’s most important ports for scallops and crabs, Laurent Mevel is fixing his nets. “We really want to protect the seas,” says the 60-year-old fisher. “But we’ve got crews, we’ve got employees.“If you don’t fish any more, the fish will come from Ireland, from Scotland. Now the fish you buy from shops comes by plane. And costs less.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Government facing increasing pressure to ban bottom trawling in protected areas

Calls to ban the damaging fishing practice in England’s marine protected areas have been intensifying ahead of a major UN ocean conference next week.

Politics