As part of its mandate to mobilise civil society towards the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), the Ocean & Climate Platform, in collaboration with CNRS and Friends of Ocean Action, with the support of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, are launching a global visioning exercise dedicated to “imagining the future of ocean sustainability”. This collaborative exercise builds on the conclusions of the consultation “A Call to All the Voices of the Ocean”, which identified the main expectations from civil society for UNOC3 and underscored the importance of anticipating the post-2030 Agenda and the next steps for SDG14, while striving to achieve the current targets.
This participatory approach aims to identify what a more desirable future for the ocean could look like and the pathways to reach it. Such an approach aims to spark creativity and help generate innovative solutions to current challenges, while boosting action and deeply inspiring all ocean actors.
The first step of this exercise consists of an online survey dedicated to identifying “seeds” to feed into the visioning exercise. Seeds are initiatives (e.g., civil society movements, technological innovations, policies, business practices) that have the potential to positively shape the future yet often remain marginal to the dominant system. These seeds will then be analysed and serve as the foundation for an in-person workshop dedicated to building visions for a more desirable future and pathways to action. The survey is open to all members of the ocean community, including NGOs, research institutes, private sector representatives, and governmental institutions.
Our goal, based on this survey, will be threefold: (1) to assess the status of ocean sustainability on several key topics; (2) to identify some of the goals to reach for a more sustainable ocean; and (3) to reflect on ways to reach them. These visions and the valuable perspectives they offer will be presented in Nice during UNOC3.
To answer the questionnaire, click on the button below:
Deadline to answer the questionnaire: 17 December 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
What is visioning?
Visioning is a scientific methodology aimed at collaboratively imagining desirable futures on a given topic and identifying pathways, namely the means and steps needed to achieve these desirable futures. This methodology is used by the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) developed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which considers three main ways of valuing nature: “nature for nature” (intrinsic value), “nature for society” (instrumental value), and “nature as culture” (relational value). Visioning builds on inputs from experts across diverse sectors and backgrounds, making it a collaborative and inclusive process.
What are seeds and how will they be used to develop scenarios?
Seeds are innovative ideas or practices that can help create a more sustainable world by offering new ways of living and coexisting with nature. They can be civil society movements, technological innovations, policies or business practices, implemented at various scales (learn more on the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes website). Building on the premise that scenarios need to be developed based on what already exists in the present, seeds are identified at the start of the visioning exercise. Exploratory work is then carried out to understand the conditions under which these seeds could become widespread in the future. The visioning exercise then consists in drawing up narratives describing these future conditions in terms of practices, values, key players and institutions. This process results in scenarios of desirable futures, accompanied by the transformations (or pathways) needed to achieve them. These scenarios are developed during in-person workshops, and can be based on creative approaches, including science fiction.
Why is visioning relevant to our work on the ocean?
The world is currently off track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015, including SDG 14, which focuses on protecting the health of the ocean, marine life, and the communities that depend on it. Pessimistic scenarios and projections can fuel a sense of despair and fail to inspire ocean actors to engage in more sustainable practices. Visioning, on the other hand, by harnessing the power of imagination and creativity, can spark innovative and inspiring ideas. These stories also strengthen emotional ties with the ocean, increasing empathy and making the ocean’s challenges more relatable. By setting clear common goals for the future, the developed narratives can guide decisions in the presentand invite us to rethink our values and our relationship with the ocean. By imagining desirable, dynamic and creative futures, visioning serves as a lever to motivate transformative change towards ocean protection.
Why is our approach original?
The visioning exercise conceived by the Ocean & Climate Platform and Friends of Ocean Action stands out due to its scale and inclusivity. The in-person workshop will bring together about 50 participants from diverse geographic regions to integrate a wide range of perspectives in the process of developing a common vision. The initiative seeks to build upon previous visioning exercises, which focused on more specific topics (such as the high seas, fisheries, or coral reefs) to develop a global vision that encompasses various dimensions of ocean sustainability. We also intend to explore collaborations with artists to enhance imagination and creativity around our collective ocean narrative.
How will the outcomes of the visioning be included in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)?
The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) will be held in Nice in 2025, co-chaired by the governments of France and Costa Rica. The conference aims to identify and implement solutions to the key challenges facing the ocean. In this context, the Ocean & Climate Platform has been mandated to mobilise civil society and amplify their voices. To this end, the OCP and the Varda Group already conducted a global consultation, a “call to all the voices of the ocean”, which identified the main expectations from civil society for UNOC3, including the need to anticipate the post-2030 Agenda and the next steps for SDG14, while striving to achieve the targets set by then. The OCP therefore intends to build on the conclusions of the visioning exercise to present, at UNOC3, a collective vision from civil society for a sustainable future for the ocean in order to inspire transformative change. The goal is to have this vision incorporated into the Nice Ocean Action Agreement (i.e., the political outcome of UNOC3), ensuring it becomes part of the legacy of UNOC3. The vision will also provide some foundation to inform discussions that will be held at UNOC4 focusing on the post-2030 agenda.
About the Ocean & Climate Platform:
The Ocean & Climate Platform is a network of +100 members, working together to promote scientific expertise on the major role played by the ocean and its ecosystems in the climate system, and advocate for better consideration of these interactions by decision-makers.
About the CNRS:
The National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is a major player in basic research on the global stage and the only organisation in France that is active in all fields of science. Its unique position as a specialist in multiple fields means that it can bring together different scientific disciplines to shed light on and gain insight into current global challenges, in partnership with public sector, social and economic stakeholders. Together the sciences are used to bring about sustainable progress that benefits the whole of society.
About Friends of Ocean Action:
Friends of Ocean Action is a multistakeholder community of ocean leaders committed to fast-tracking ambitious, scalable and equitable solutions to support ocean health and the sustainable blue economy.
About Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy:
Dona Bertarelli is a Swiss philanthropist, biodiversity advocate, investor and sportswoman. She is a Patron of Nature of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), executive chair of Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, and co-chair of the Bertarelli Foundation. She has been deeply committed to impactful philanthropy over three decades, from improving public understanding of reproductive health and infertility, and advocating for ocean protection and environmental conservation, to education and social causes. Dona Bertarelli is co-chair of the Bertarelli Foundation, alongside her brother, Ernesto. The philanthropic organisation was established in 1998 by the Bertarelli family in memory of Fabio Bertarelli, her fathe.