General Information Scientific and Technological Background
Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters are vital for our societies and the future of our planet. They are the lungs of our planet, producing half of the oxygen we breathe. They are the planet’s largest carbon sink and have absorbed 26% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. They are the source of all life on Earth and our planet’s life-support system. They supply freshwater, renewable energy and provide benefits associated with our well-being, cultural values, tourism, trade, and transport. However, we are leaving an ever increasing footprint on the ocean and waters which is rapidly degrading their health and threatening their ability to provide many essential services.
The ojective of the "Restore our ocean and waters by 2030" mission is to restore, protect and conserve with a systemic approach over our oceans, seas and waters by 2030. The Mission will support many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): in particular restoring our ocean and waters related actions will directly contribute to SDG 14 - Life below water and SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation, as well as to SDG13 - Climate action. In this context, there are specific objectives such as protecting biodiversity in marine and freshwater ecosystems, preventing pollution and making the sustainable blue economy carbon neutral and circular.
Action Zones (Optional)
The mission includes specific actions to expand access to data and information about the oceans, seas and freshwater through the Ocean's Digital Twin (DTO) structure. This structure aims to make ocean knowledge available to citizens, entrepreneurs, scientists and policy makers by providing innovative, user-oriented and interactive tools.
Scope and Goals
The mission "Restore our ocean and waters by 2030" is intended to be implemented in two phases. In the first "development and piloting" phase, which is planned to cover the years 2022-2025, the necessary foundations for research and innovation and the implementation of the objectives will be laid, thus increasing the participation of the citizens. In the "deployment and upscaling" phase, which will take place in 2026-2030, solutions will be further deployed, replicated and scaled up.
This mission is a powerful tool for raising awareness among citizens about the importance of healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters and developing solutions to a range of problems. The mission aims to end pollution in our oceans and waters by preventing plastic waste, chemicals and other pollutants from reaching rivers and seas.
The Mission will help make the blue economy more sustainable and climate-friendly by promoting renewable and carbon-neutral technologies, reducing emissions from existing sectors, and developing innovative solutions that reduce the environmental footprint of human activities.
Targets by 2030: cleaning marine and fresh waters, restoring degraded ecosystems and habitats, decarbonising the blue economy in order to sustainably harness the essential goods and services they provide.
Call Information (Optional)
You can find the 2023 call details of the "Restore our ocean and waters by 2030" mission here. Calls are open to application until 20 September 2023. Please click here to access the 2023-2024 Missions Work Programme.
