by Johan Strid, director of The Oceans Race Summit

"Why would The Ocean Race, a sailing competition, want to help drive new and improved policies to tackle some of the most urgent issues facing our blue planet?" I get asked that question often and my answer is that we all have to do what we can to improve the health of the planet and, for us more specifically, our field of play: the ocean.

We have one ocean, but the way it is protected and governed is splintered. When you add to this the impact of climate change, it is a recipe for disaster for our marine world. Sailors in The Ocean Race have seen more of the ocean, and its decline, than most people on the planet. We urgently need to create a better system, with collaboration at the heart of it.

Inspired by the EESC's ground-breaking work Towards an EU Charter of the Fundamental Rights of Nature, we will explore whether giving the ocean legal rights on its own can be a route to a better protected and managed ocean.

The Ocean Race is the world's toughest test of a team in sport. We can harness the determination of the round-the-world challenge to address the need for improved global ocean policies. We are not a government, an NGO, an academic institution or a business. We are a sports competition. This gives us an independent and far-reaching platform where we can bring together people from all sectors of society in a dialogue on solutions for the ocean. That is why we organise The Ocean Race Summits.

To date, we have organised 11 summits, the most recent of which was just on 16 June and focused on Europe, with the participation of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EESC Vice-President Cillian Lohan and Virginijus SinkeviÄŤius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.

Before September 2023, we will hold another eight summits at key locations across all continents. These will bring together global players from government, science, industry, NGOs, media and sport, along with passionate ocean advocates, to drive solutions and commitments to tackling the issues facing our seas. We are using innovative working methods harnessing drive, competence and creativity from all participants in our Action Labs. This series of high-level events will produce a catalogue of proposals for improved global ocean policies, based on ocean rights.

In addition to the summits, The Ocean Race is driving an award-winning sustainability programme, based on the fact that we have a responsibility to embed sustainability into the heart of our operations and leave a positive legacy for future generations. Our learning programme teaches children and young people how to help the ocean. Scientific equipment on participating boats contributes with valuable data. At our stopovers, we are banning single-use plastics, sourcing sustainable food and creating a responsible greenhouse gas emissions strategy aiming for 100% renewable energy.

We want to show the world that it is not just possible to have a global sporting event that is sustainable, but that it is impossible not to be sustainable.

The EESC is a very valuable partner for us. You represent organised civil society in Europe and you have a voice at the table when the EU is making decisions. Your platform is much of what we want to achieve with The Ocean Race Summits, a meeting point for all forces that want to contribute to a healthier ocean representing all strands of global society. I hope that together we can build on what we have done together at The Ocean Race Summit Europe and cooperate to ensure that governments, companies, NGOs and institutions make commitments regarding the ocean. The global network of businesses, trade unions, organisations of the EESC and its members are a very important asset in working towards a healthy ocean. Your work on the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of Nature is an excellent baseline to work together from.

We are thankful for the cooperation with the EESC and look forward to continuing working together to achieve global legal recognition for nature and ocean rights.