Swan Hellenic's expedition cruise ship SH Vega hosted today's signing ceremony for an agreement in which Swan Hellenic, the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, and SDG4MED commit to jointly contributing to the EU's mission to "Restore our oceans and waters by 2030." Under the agreement, Swan Hellenic will provide its fleet for use as "ships of opportunity," enabling the foundation's scientists to assess the health of our Blue Planet in its most remote and pristine regions, including the Arctic, Antarctica, and the coasts of Africa, where the Swan Hellenic fleet is, of course, present for several months each year.
At the end of 2021, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU mandated the Commission to accelerate the conservation and restoration of the health of the world's oceans and waters. The resulting EU Mission is a coordinated effort to pool the necessary financial, scientific, and operational resources.
The three organizations were among the first in the world to endorse the Mission Charter, which aims to create a sustainable, carbon-neutral, and circular blue economy that plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality, as the oceans are important carbon sinks, protect biodiversity, and foster economic prosperity, projected to generate €2.5 trillion annually by 2030. The objectives of Mission 2030 include a 30% reduction in marine microplastics and the deployment of EU carbon-neutral, circular blue economy communities.
In a congratulatory message on the occasion of the signing, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Institutional President of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, noted: “I am extremely pleased to see our Foundation and our country involved in this historic agreement.”.
Rafael Lobeto Lobo, Secretary General of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation and former Director General of the Spanish Merchant Marine, commented: “Life on Earth depends on the health of the interconnected system of oceans, seas, and inland waters, which cover approximately 75% of the Earth’s surface. However, human-caused changes are seriously endangering our oceans and waters, as pollution and global warming lead to biodiversity loss and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves.”.
Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic, stated: “These ambitions are embedded in our DNA. All Swan Hellenic vessels are equipped with cutting-edge green technologies, such as state-of-the-art Tier III diesel engines with urea injection, dynamic positioning systems to avoid anchoring in sensitive areas of the seabed, and advanced wastewater treatment plants. We have also increasingly eliminated single-use plastics on board, thanks to the availability of our supply chain in remote areas.”.
In fact, the three organizations already have their own individual commitments to the Mission Charter: the Philippe Cousteau Foundation promotes ocean literacy in schools and among fishermen and seafarers, SDG4MED makes the “LIFE4MEDECA Knowledge Centre” available to municipalities to carry out a shared action plan, and Swan Hellenic continually invests in the latest technologies and ecological operations.
