World Ocean Day 7 June 2024 – Protecting the marine environment

Humanity depends on the ocean for its survival and yet our actions are polluting its waters and endangering its species. Protecting marine ecosystems is now a top priority in securing a more sustainable future and World Ocean Day provides a perfect platform to raise awareness about marine conservation on a global scale. Businesses have an important role to play in changing behaviours and adopting practices that balance the needs of people, profit and planet. As we work to implement our sustainability strategy. Calabash is committed to helping all our stakeholders make more responsible choices.

Oceans Day was declared in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which provided an opportunity for people to express their views on environmental issues. It has now evolved to become an international event catalysing collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate.

It is hard to over emphasise the importance of the ocean to people and planet. According to the UN, the ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen. It is home to most of Earth’s biodiversity and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people. The blue planet may hold answers to our greatest challenges and is critical in fighting climate change by providing a carbon sink that reduces global warming.

Yet we are destroying aquatic ecosystems at an alarming rate. Be it rising temperature, acidification or pollution, humanity is doing untold damage to life below water. David Attenborough’s iconic Blue Planet series highlighted the plight of ocean life and put it on everyone’s radar. Since then, governments around the world have committed to protecting 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.yet there is a long way to go before oceans are out of danger.

World Ocean Day offers us all an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and explore what we can do to manage resources more responsibly. As a business, Calabash is committed to embedding ESG practice and along with our consultant Wylde Connections we have developed a robust sustainability strategy. Key dates such as this help focus our minds on the task in hand and the importance of serving the triple bottom line.

We are determined to help change the face of facilities management and help our customers make more responsible choices. Be it using low impact high performance cleaning products, providing waste management services that divert waste from landfill, or measuring our emissions to drive decarbonisation, we want to do our bit to protect he natural world.

For World Ocean Day, Wylde Connections has come up with five top tips for businesses wanting to support better ocean health:

Plastics – Explore how you can reduce your plastic consumption. Take your own bags to the shops, your own cup to the café, choose products with reduced packaging and opt for reusable water bottles. Go a step further by volunteering your time to take part in litter picks.

Reduce your carbon footprint – A heating planet has devastating consequences for the ocean. Try making greater use of public transport or turn down your thermostat by a degree.

Diet – Global fish populations are being rapidly depleted which fuels biodiversity loss. Pay more attention to labels in the supermarket and make sustainable seafood choices. Visit Seafood Watch – www.seafoodwatch.org.uk – for more information on sustainable seafood options.

Travel – Whether splashing in a kayak or lounging on the beach, dispose of your waste responsibly. If choosing a cruise, pay attention to the environmental impact of the vessel.

Support good causes – Consider donating money and time to organisations that protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife. Options include becoming a member of the Marine Conservation Society –  www.mcsuk.org

For more information on World Ocean Day visit: www.WorldOceanDay.org

Talk to Calabash today about how our facilities management services can help you boost your ESG credentials. Call 0203 011 4799, email [email protected] or fill in our contact form.