The BestCities Global Forum delegates in Vancouver were exposed to the social procurement and environmental activities developed within and by the city of Vancouver which can be applied to association meetings. The example of Ocean Wise, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower communities and individuals to take action to protect and restore our world’s oceans, was perhaps the Forum highlight.
The growing of Kelp forests on the seabed which are rich habitat for marine life, including commercially important fish and invertebrates, was highlighted by Carlos Drews, Conservation EVP of Ocean Wise, explaining that if we find ways to use fast-growing seaweed and work with its natural processes, sea forestation can be a powerful player in the fight against climate change. These sea forests protect the coast from the impacts of extreme weather events, they grow at ridiculously fast rates while naturally capturing carbon in large volumes within the seaweed tissue, some of which gets trapped in the ocean floor for centuries.
The growing of Kelp forests can dramatically regenerate the world’s ocean life whilst delivering a carbon sink.
Further reading:
From Boardroom Global:
An Ocean of Sustainability at BestCities Global Forum in Vancouver
