“We do not want millions or billions but trillions of dollars to flow to the Sustainable Blue Economy.”

This was the call made by UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson during the Regional Ocean Policy and Governance Dialogue in Nadi.

Ambassador Thomson laid out a stark reality that the trillions of dollars are to secure the health of the oceans and, consequently, the health of the planet.

He stresses that this substantial investment is crucial for developing offshore energy sources such as wind, tidal, and wave technologies.

These technologies, Thomson argues, hold the key to generating renewable energy on a scale that can support sustainable lifestyles worldwide.

“Time is not on our side. The decline in the ocean’s health, be it measured by indices of fisheries, pollution, acidification, deoxygenation or warming, is continuing. Biodiversity loss and the climate crisis worsen by the day.”

While acknowledging significant progress in ocean conservation efforts, Thomson cautions that good intentions alone are insufficient.

He states that meaningful change must occur at the national level to realize the ambitious goals set forth by global leaders in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

The Sustainable Blue Economy represents a holistic approach to addressing these challenges by harnessing the potential of the oceans to support economic growth while preserving and enhancing environmental and social well-being.

Thomson adds there can be no healthy planet without a healthy ocean and the time for transformative change is now, and the investment needed should not be measured.