Fugro CEO Mark Heine participates in UN Ocean Decade launch event

The virtual high-level event was convened to celebrate the launch of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, a multifaceted initiative focused on reversing the cycle of decline in ocean health and creating improved conditions for sustainable ocean development worldwide.

The meeting was hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (IOC-UNESCO). Following opening statements by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the programme featured presentations and roundtable discussions about the Ocean Decade framework, implementation and goals for the coming years.

Heine took part in a roundtable session entitled ‘The Ocean Decade from End to End’, which looked at the ocean from an ecosystem perspective and its impact on climate, environment, food and energy resources, and cultural and recreational activities.

“As a company whose business largely depends on a healthy and sustainable ocean, Fugro is committed to improving the availability of and access to ocean science across all stakeholder groups, in all regions of the world,” Heine said. “Industry has an important role to play here, and Fugro is proud to be leading the private sector in support of the Ocean Decade through data sharing, collaborative partnerships and technology innovations.”

Fugro’s commitment to ocean science initiatives and a sustainable ocean economy is well documented and also includes industry-leading support to The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, a complementary effort to map the world’s oceans. Both the Ocean Decade and Seabed 2030 align with Fugro’s vision to create a safe and liveable world and are part of the company’s global sustainability programme.