EU and Canada: Pledges of over $240 million to enhance ocean monitoring

Brussels, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday the receipt of funding pledges totaling no less than 211 million euros ($240.24 million) to support a new international initiative to monitor the oceans, launched by the two leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The initiative, titled the “International Ocean Observing System Alliance,” aims to enhance navigation safety, weather and climate forecasts, coastal protection, and the blue economy. It has so far been joined by 30 countries alongside the European Union.

Speaking at a high-level fundraising event, von der Leyen said, “We must listen to the ocean and protect it far more,” warning that ocean monitoring faces significant pressures and that the global network providing this data suffers from a severe funding shortfall.

She revealed that the European Union has boosted its funding for ocean monitoring activities with an initial contribution of 92 million euros ($104.75 million), while Canada pledged to allocate 82 million Canadian dollars ($58.17 million) over five years to expand its capabilities in this field.

She explained that the funding would support monitoring networks by developing technologies and increasing equipment in the high seas and space, including sensors and satellites.

For his part, Carney emphasized that “the ocean we share cannot be understood or protected by any single country alone,” adding that what cannot be achieved individually can be accomplished together.

The funding pledges include financial contributions, in-kind support, and the provision of assets and equipment, including research vessels, sensors, drones, and data processing facilities.

The alliance comprises 31 members: the European Union and 30 countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.

The event was organized in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the two co-sponsors of the Global Ocean Observing System.

The European Union and Canada are expected to work with partners to enhance international coordination in ocean monitoring and expand the alliance’s scope. A future event on the initiative is scheduled to take place during the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).

(End) A.R.N. / M.A.A.