Surfers Against Sewage declares ocean and climate emergency
The Cornish charity is calling on the government to put the issue at the centre of talks
Surfers Against Sewage is calling for the ocean and environment to be at the centre of environmental talks and at the G7 Summit in Cornwall.
The St Agnes based conservation charity has declared an ocean and climate emergency.
It wants action taken to address the damage caused to our blue planet and to restore ecosystems that can help us.
The charity is calling for the government to put the issue at the centre of climate conversations at the 26th UN Climate Conference (COP26) in November, as well as at the world leaders event in Carbis Bay in June.
As a result, SAS has launched an Ocean and Climate Petition.
A recent study from SAS reveals that 89% of the British public are extremely concerned about the climate emergency and 97% are aware of the impact it is having on the ocean. 99% of respondents agreed more action needs to be taken and 96% believe the government must take-action urgently.
The petition aims to highlight the importance of a thriving ocean, for the people and planet, and calls on the government to utilise the ocean’s capacity as a solution to the climate crisis, through increased investment in ocean rewilding and implementation of Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).
"What a great place to host the G7 Summit right here in Cornwall, around and right in front of the Atlantic ocean, somewhere we can out the ocean and environment front and centre of discussions, particularly as we emerge from the current pandemic.
"We need to see a green and blue recovery where we see green sustainable jobs, jobs that protect our ocean and restore our habitats and provide us with resilience against climate change in the coming years.
"We've been at the forefront of environmental discussions, whether it be climate change, plastic pollution, water quality, all these things Cornwall has shown such a leadership voice in.
"And so what better place to host such an important event, and to project Cornwall and our environmental plight to the world."
Hugo Tagholm, CEO, Surfers Against Sewage
Targeted at the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the charity plans to influence the direction of the COP26 talks by generating 80,000 signatures, from the general public and school pupils.
That charity says that as we step into the United Nations Ocean Decade and we are now left with 'only 10 years to reverse the damage humans have inflicted on our blue planet'.
SAS is warning that 'alongside the destruction caused by deep-sea mining, unsustainable fishing and pollution; climate change is causing ocean temperatures and acidity levels to rise dramatically'.
The charity's newly-released Ocean and Climate Report, highlights how these changes are driving marine ecosystems and species to extinction and putting populations here in the UK, and across the world, at extreme risk.
“Ocean ecosystems are not only on the front line of the accelerating impacts of climate change, but also can become the front line of slowing and reversing runaway global heating. The ocean is the thermostat of the global climate system and must be urgently prioritised for action, as world leaders meet for COP26.
"The ocean provides us with a unique opportunity to remove human pressures and let nature do the heavy-lifting to combat climate change. Carbon-absorbing ecosystems can re-establish themselves to allow biodiversity to flourish and draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
"Business as usual has failed both people and planet, and we’re now in a race against time to restore a thriving ocean, the life-support system we all depend on.
"We are in an Ocean and Climate Emergency and we call on politicians to move from rhetoric to action, from statements to solutions. We don’t have any time left to waste.”
Hugo Tagholm, CEO, Surfers Against Sewage