Group 10_B | SDG 14: Life Below Water
The Goal
The global ecosystem is
majorly driven by the oceans on the Earth. Their biodiversity, temperature,
fossils, and currents help in striking a balance between ecosystems of the
world.
SDG 14 [1], Life Below Water, aims to conserve the
oceans and use the marine resources for sustainable development.
Oceans cover more than
70% of the Earth’s surface, and they absorb around 30% of the world’s carbon
dioxide. Due to extreme exploitation, 40% of the ocean is heavily polluted.
Human intervention is now necessary to preserve the oceanic habitat. And as the saying goes – ‘Every drop in the ocean counts’; each human can make an impact. Following are some of the targets that have been set up under this goal:
Source: https://www.globalgoals.org/14-life-below-water
Stakeholders
Mentioned below are some
of the stakeholders that affect or get directly affected by the health of the
oceans and marine resources:
1.
Fishermen and local
authorities
More than 3 billion
people depend on marine resources and biodiversity all around the world. Since the
industrial revolution, extreme acidification of the oceans has taken place.
Fish reserves have been exploited. For the fishermen to sustain themselves,
exploitation needs to stop.
Local authorities can
intervene in order to preserve the water bodies in the nearby areas.
2.
Non-Governmental
organizations
NGOs leave an impact on
the citizens. Recently, many NGOs[2] have taken up the task of
cleaning the beaches in Mumbai and other places so that the release of plastic
can be controlled into the ocean.
3.
Business and Industry
Further into the blog,
you will be reading about the business implications of disturbing the marine
environment. Here, a brief about it can be stated. Quite a large part of the
business is carried through the waterways. A lot of trade and business depends upon
marine resources. But everything in excess is bad. Hence, overexploitation will
eventually lead to more damage than business profits and growth.
4.
Scientific and
technological community
The ocean is a treasure
in itself! The amount of minerals, pearls, metals, precious stones, and
biodiversity that the ocean holds within cannot be comprehended. Extracts from
the marine flora and fauna are used in various research and scientific
experiments. Hence, they also stand as the potential stakeholders in this case.
Electronic and nuclear
waste has found a disposable ground in the oceans. Space stations use water
bodies for the safe landing of their satellites. Hydro energy has been
recognized as one of the renewable sources of energy. In short, a lot of
scientific activities rely on the seas and oceans of the world.
This community can act in
a lot of different ways to preserve the life below water.
5.
Indigenous people
The livelihood of the
indigenous people depends immensely upon the marine resources available. They
rely on water bodies for food, water, and energy. A slight disturbance or
imbalance in the aquatic ecosystem can create a massive impact on the health
and hence, the lives of the indigenous people.
There have been instances
when the tribal or indigenous people have attacked the people coming from the
city because they foresaw danger to their environment.
6.
Children and youth
Schools and other educational institutions can promote the importance of SDGs and how it is essential to work towards the fulfilment of these goals. This will ensure a better future for these generations.
Business Implications
Businesses
have long been known for being one of the most significant influencers on the Earth
and the environment. It is no different when it comes to oceans and life below
water. The idea that businesses must contribute to protecting marine life and
oceans stems from a term called the ‘Ocean Economy’ defined by the OECD as the
sum of the economic activities of ocean-based industries, together with the
assets, goods, and services provided by marine ecosystems[3]. Sea
routes account for almost 90% of world trade, and with a figure like that, it
cannot be denied that businesses have a significant role in protecting oceans.
As per
the OECD definition, the ocean economy is a sum of two broad parts[4]–
ocean-based industries and marine ecosystems, and the interdependency of these
two parts is too grave to be ignored. According to a report by EcoWatch[5],
the ‘Ocean 100’, a set of 100 companies, takes home 60% of the Ocean economy's
revenues. About 10 of these companies account for a whopping 45% of such
revenue. It is hardly surprising that 20 of these companies are also
responsible for the most amount of acidification, and these companies include
some of the biggest names like Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, and Saudi
Aramco[6]. Naturally, such acidification flows back to marine
ecosystems, including plankton, algae, shellfish, and coral – some organisms
form the foundation of such ecosystems. All these companies belong to one
industry -oil drilling and fossil fuel production, which is, of course, the
cause of climate change.
Another
large contributor to the degradation of oceans and marine life is the fishing
industry. Close to 120 million people[7] depend on fishing as a
source of livelihood, and fish acts as a protein source for almost 3 billion
people [8] cross the world. The fishing industry poses one of the
gravest threats to ocean life – overfishing. While large corporations reap
profits from such activity, smaller-scale businesses are left to wonder about
their future. While overfishing does the obvious, which is reduce the marine
population, it also leads to bycatch, which is the unintended capture of species
other than the one being fished for, and ghost fishing. Dolphins, turtles, and
seabirds are the most common victims. While the most common reasons for
overfishing are illegal fishing and subsidies (which contribute to
environmental damage), bycatch happens because of non-selective fishing gear [9].
Another unexpected impact of overfishing is jellyfish blooms in Japan. Also
called the Nomura Jellyfish Bloom, there were almost 20 billion jellyfish in
the Sea of Japan, which eventually led to 30 billion Yen fishing losses [10].
The numbers have increased exponentially primarily because of global warming
and deteriorating coastal water quality.
Approximately
4 million fishing vessels [11] sail the ocean today. Unless there
are binding agreements with companies, stricter regulation, and a commitment to
saving marine ecosystems, further damage is inevitable.
A last
business that we intend to talk about is the shipping industry. While at first,
it may seem harmless, shipping vessels contribute to climate change through
emissions of black carbon [12]. In fact, it is estimated that if
this growth rate continues, the shipping industry will be responsible for 10% of
global GHG emissions by 2050. Despite recommendations of several international
bodies on more fuel-efficient ships, there has hardly been any discernible
change, and no breakthroughs or incentives have been made in this direction.
The only solution, slow steaming, is not a very largely accepted one.
Steps Taken
The alarming decline in
marine population and the negative impact caused by human activity went
unnoticed for a considerable period of time. However, from the 1970s, known as
the period of the “Marine revolution,” the world has started to take notice. In
the recent past, governments, private organizations, and conservationists have
come together in a bid to protect life underwater. Though the journey of marine
life conservation is far from over, the following steps have ensured that we
are sailing in the right direction:
1. Setting up of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): MPAs are protected water bodies that restrict human activity intending
to conserve marine life and resources. As a principle, they are protected and
regulated by local government bodies. In some cases, they even provide revenues
that offset the loss incurred due to restrictions on fishing. An example of
such a model would be the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which has been
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently, there are more than 13,650
MPAs, comprising [13] 2.07% of the world’s oceans.
2. Sustainable Fisheries: Sustainable fisheries
combine theoretical concepts like fisheries and marine biology dynamics with
practical techniques like individual fishing quotas and developing independent
certification programs. For example, The Mediterranean Shipping Company has come
up with the blue fish label, which can only be put on products that are
certified to the [14] MSC standard, a scientific measure of
sustainable fishing. Such efforts ensure a win-win situation where fishing
continues sustainably, without causing any harm to the ecosystem. Still, almost
32% of the world’s fisheries are overexploited depleted, or recovering, which threatens the
economy, health, and livelihoods of communities worldwide.
3. Sustainable Tourism: Coral Reefs are an integral part of the
marine ecosystem and are vastly affected by unsustainable tourism practices. The
concept of sustainable tourism has taken place, which involves educating
tourists about environmentally friendly practices. For example, Scuba diving
techniques have been developed not to disrupt the ecosystem of the surrounding
area.
4. Technology-Driven Conservation
Practices: A vast array of innovative technologies have been
developed. Examples of such technology are ARU (Autonomous Recording
Unit), PSATs (Pop-up Satellite Archival Tag), and RFID
(Radio-frequency identification). Technologies like Blockchain, IoT, and Big
Data have also been incorporated to improve commercial viability. These devices
help track and collect data for a wide number of species to understand their
migratory patterns, feeding movements, daily habits, and their fate at large.
This data is then used to develop sustainable practices. In addition to this,
halfway technologies, like fish ladders and hatcheries, address some of the
symptoms of overfishing.
5. Laws and Treaties: Several domestic and international laws have been passed to ensure the
conservation of life underwater. For example, the United Nations has introduced
the vulnerable marine ecosystem concept for deep-sea fisheries beyond national
jurisdiction areas. Marine conservation has also been added in its framework of
Sustainability Development Goals. (SDG 14)
SDG 14 [15] :
SDG 14 is an ambitious project by the UN where countries from all over the
world have come together to commit to the truly global responsibility of
protecting our oceans and the lives that depend on them. Some targets include
reducing significant amounts of marine pollution by 2025 and increasing the
economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources [16]
to small island developing states by 2030, including techniques like
sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism.
Homo Sapiens have left trails
of destruction in every ecosystem we have set foot on for the last 70,000
years. Now, our callous and selfish actions have driven the entire marine
ecosystem to the brink of extinction. The industrial revolution has permanently
changed our world’s water bodies. It is time for us to take responsibility,
undo some of the damages we have done in our lifetime and take pro-active steps
to ensure marine ecosystems' survival and, on a larger scale, life on Earth.
SDG 14 and Other Goals
No sustainability goal exists
in isolation. SDG 14 is closely tied to the goals of Climate Action, Small
Island Developing States, Sustainable Tourism, Responsible Consumption and
Production and almost every other goal because of the centrality of oceans and
marine ecosystems in our continued existence. And while we recommend steps for
this particular goal, the fact that other goals have an encompassing impact on
this goal cannot be ignored.
Sustainability Initiatives related to SDGs by our respective
SIP companies:
ITC [17]: While ITC’s business is not related to the SDG 14,
it has been carbon positive for 15 years. It has 30 green buildings, and all of
the super-premium luxury hotels have received LEED Platinum ratings. At the
same time, it runs an Afforestation
Programme and several Watershed Management and Water Recycling Programmes.
Amazon [18]: Amazon has invested heavily in circular economy
operations. It also has wind farms and is one of the largest companies to
source energy through renewable sources. It also has a climate pledge according
to which it aims to be net carbon neutral
by 2040, and this pledge has become quite popular in the US. One of the
most essential investments it is making is in a sustainable supply chain.
Accenture
Strategy [19]: The company
aims to achieve net-zero emissions by
2025 and become zero-waste as well. They
also intend to focus on reducing the risk of damage from water bodies like
floods. Lastly, they have a business vertical dedicated to companies looking to
make their businesses environmentally sustainable.
P&G [20]: The company released a set of goals in 2018 called Ambition 2030 to create value for all
stakeholders and be environmentally sustainable. The goals encompass the areas
of brands, supply chain, employees, and society. The common thread that runs
through all is the reduction of emissions and waste.
Walmart[21]: The company aims to achieve zero emissions in its operations by 2040 and create zero waste in key markets by 2025. They also have a Project Gigaton wherein they work with their suppliers to avoid a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions from the global value chain by 2030.
References
[4] https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/the-ocean-economy-in-2030_9789264251724-en#page24
[7] http://www.fao.org/3/x0262e/x0262e09.htm
[9] https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/bycatch
[11] https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_conservation
[14] https://www.msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/what-is-sustainable-fishing
[15] https://in.one.un.org/page/sustainable-development-goals/sdg-14/
[16] https://marinebio.org/conservation/sustainable-fisheries/
[17] https://www.itcportal.com/sustainability/sustainablity-initiatives.aspx
[18] https://www.aboutamazon.com/planet
[19] https://www.accenture.com/in-en/services/sustainability-index
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