{"id":28116,"date":"2024-06-07T09:33:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T08:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.argonandco.com\/?post_type=article&p=28116"},"modified":"2025-07-31T15:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:02:47","slug":"making-waves-world-ocean-day-needs-all-businesses-to-dive-in","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.argonandco.com\/en\/news-insights\/articles\/making-waves-world-ocean-day-needs-all-businesses-to-dive-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Making waves: World Ocean Day needs all businesses to dive in"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oceans make up 70% of the earth’s surface and are vital for human survival thanks to how they produce oxygen, regulate climate and weather patterns, store carbon, provide resources for nutrition and healthcare, support economies, and enrich quality of life and well-being. \u00a0They are a unique part of the planet’s life-support system and clearly must be preserved. The United Nations introduced World Ocean Day to develop a global movement to unify efforts towards sustainably managing the world’s oceans. These efforts are geared towards achieving major environmental goals including the protection of at least 30% of our lands and waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

This year’s theme, ‘catalysing action for our ocean and climate’ emphasises the need to take critical action now to safeguard our planet\u2019s oceans. All businesses have a role in preserving our oceans, regardless of the nature of the organisation, to support the sustainability agenda and to ensure the longevity of their organisation and protect this life-support system.<\/p>\n

Challenges for sustainability in the oceans<\/h2>\n

The impact of rising sea levels due to the melting of ice caps and glaciers, coupled with the thermal expansion of seawater, is well attested, with the resulting rise exacerbating coastal flooding, threatening ecosystems and human settlements.<\/p>\n

Over the past century, ocean temperatures have risen, with some regions experiencing warming close to 1-degree Celsius. This increase poses severe threats to marine ecosystems, including the disruption of species distribution and coral bleaching.<\/p>\n

Another critical issue is ocean acidification, a direct result of increased CO2 absorption, which compromises the survival of shell-forming organisms vital to the marine food chain. Furthermore, warmer ocean temperatures contribute to deoxygenation, creating uninhabitable \u2018dead zones\u2019 where oxygen levels are too low to support marine life.<\/p>\n

Overfishing also remains a pressing concern, with significant increases in overfished stocks over the past fifty years leading to substantial declines in marine biodiversity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, about 34.2% of global fish stocks were fished at biologically unsustainable levels in 2017, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable fishing practices.<\/p>\n

Climate change and the ocean \u2013 why all organisations need to act<\/h2>\n

Some of these challenges can feel removed from certain organisations. However, with the rise in importance of business\u2019 net zero agendas, impacts on oceans cannot be ignored. Oceans are a formidable ally against climate change, acting as a natural buffer by absorbing excess heat and carbon dioxide. Ocean absorption of CO2 mitigates some atmospheric temperature increases, but it also leads to significant warming of ocean waters.<\/p>\n

And as oceans warm, they become less efficient at absorbing greenhouse gases. Therefore every organisation has an interest in aborting this vicious cycle. This reinforces why it\u2019s not just water intensive industries, fishing, resource harvesting organisations who should consider their impact on oceans and take integrated conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

Measure to manage! Understand your impact<\/h2>\n

\u2018Knowledge is power\u2019 holds particularly true for businesses as they aim to minimise their ecological impact. A crucial step involves what might seem a daunting task: the meticulous organisation of data. This process should include a comprehensive review of emissions, water usage, waste and supply chain activities \u2013 from sourcing and manufacturing to packaging, storage, and end-of-life management.<\/p>\n

This is not just for the purpose of being compliant or enhancing public image but can drive informed, impactful decisions that can contribute to our global responsibility of conserving our oceans. Investing time and resources to convert raw data into meaningful insight is essential<\/strong>, revealing current use of resources and opportunities for substantial improvement.<\/p>\n

Practical steps when diving into ocean protection<\/h2>\n

We do not need to reinvent the wheel when focusing on conserving our oceans \u2013 the actions needed to be taken should already be embedded within our existing sustainability strategies.<\/p>\n

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In conjunction with this, utilising existing frameworks such as the Ocean Action Agenda on where to focus sustainability efforts<\/strong>. This framework focuses on five \u2018Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy\u2019 which are:<\/p>\n