On September 29, there was a webinar as part of the Environmental Leaders Training Program – United for the Ocean, which was attended by Ana Lyra, OceanPact’s sustainability leader. The event’s topic was “The Sustainability Agenda in Practice.” The webinar was part of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 module of the Environment and Sustainability Specialized Course, organized by the Aqualung Ecology Institute and Women of Brazil Group.
The OceanPact sustainability initiatives presented by Lyra during her participation in the webinar may serve as an example for other private companies to adopt new attitudes and implement positive environmental actions. The training program also featured environmental leaders, non-governmental organizations and public sector institutions.
“We had the opportunity to show what the private sector can do in practice to contribute to sustainability. We presented the Guanabara Verde Project and talked about all the environmental education, environmental awareness and beach cleaning projects we have run together with the Urban Sea Institute, as well as the Blue Keepers, a major global initiative in to remove plastic from rivers and oceans,” sums up OceanPact’s sustainability leader.
Lyra took advantage of her presence at the webinar to clarify concepts related to the Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda. “How can I want someone to be committed to sustainability if people still have doubts about what this means? The private sector’s vision and examples are valuable. We showed that we have created a positive cycle, in which all stakeholders are contributing to a more sustainable world, and not only through actions that are linked to their activities. We want to promote environmental awareness and initiatives so that everyone can also do their part, because the main challenge is to find this balance, enabling development in a sustainable way, taking advantage of natural resources while ensuring they are still available for the next generations,” she says.
Lyra stresses that the webinar’s challenge was to talk about the importance of achieving this balance and the need to raise everyone’s awareness of the importance of sustainability. “And that’s why, for me, this type of event shouldn’t not only be for environmental leaders, but for any member of society, whether children, teenagers, adults or seniors. Everyone can do a little and companies can contribute even more, because they have potential, more financial support and a much greater network capacity,” she concludes.
The adoption of sustainable attitudes by private companies is a global concern. According to UN studies mentioned in the Environment and Sustainability Specialized Course’s webinar, if nothing is done, by 2050 more than 90% of all marine life will feed on residues that will put ocean ecosystems at risk. At the moment, more than 80% of all harmful waste found in the ocean comes from coastal regions.
OceanPact is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and it is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 14, which addresses the subject of “Life Below Water.” We are committed to sustainability and we offer environmental services and solutions to companies that do business at sea, as well as carrying out research and supporting debates and events about the marine environment. We urge you to also participate in this worldwide effort to raise awareness and get more people involved in environmental protection initiatives!