IIn this regard, the importance of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be overstressed. Progress is being made on many of the SDGs, but regarding SDG 14 – to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources – the action taken so far has been highly inadequate.

In 2017, the Swedish Government, together with Fiji, took the initiative to host the first United Nations Ocean Conference. The reasons for this were as manifold as the major and urgent problems facing the ocean. Firstly, recognition of the major role of the ocean in sustainable development and other SDGs, including those covering poverty, hunger, biodiversity, climate, and sustainable production and consumption. Secondly, the need for multilateral and stakeholder cooperation to solve these problems. And lastly, the fragmentation of the ocean agenda, where fisheries, pollution, climate, shipping, etc. were previously dealt with in different forums.

The Ocean Conference became an impressive global manifestation, placing the ocean at the centre of the development agenda. Through the adoption of the Call for Action, the global community recommitted to the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement and underlined the urgency of taking action for healthy marine environments for human development, not least for the poorest and most vulnerable people.

Sweden is highly committed to maintaining this momentum and intensifying our national and international efforts. The Swedish Government adopted a new global strategy for international development cooperation on environment, climate and oceans four years ago in which financial support for the ocean substantially increased. Time is running out for the ocean, and all world leaders need to step up to the challenge.

We need to drastically cut carbon dioxide emissions. The next 10–15 years will determine the world’s ability to fulfil the ambitions in the Paris Agreement. The national commitments on the table today from UN Member States will not be enough. We all need to do more. Sweden is prepared to take a leading role in international climate efforts. We have the goal of becoming one of the world’s first fossil-free welfare nations and, last year, the Swedish Riksdag decided by a large majority to introduce a climate policy framework which contains: a goal of zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045; a Climate Act that binds all future governments to present a strategy for how to achieve this goal; and a climate policy council to evaluate the policy agenda of the Government. There is no room for arbitrariness in climate work.

We need to act on all levels to stop the flow of plastic into the ocean. Each year, eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans – the equivalent of one garbage truck a minute. Plastic debris and microplastics are transported by ocean currents across borders. They are found everywhere, even on the remotest shores of uninhabited islands, in the Arctic ice, the deep ocean and inside a broad array of marine organisms. Improved waste management is urgently needed, but it is not enough.

We need to get smarter about plastics, drastically reduce our use of single-use plastics and adopt a more circular economic model. As a first step, Sweden has implemented a ban on microbeads in cosmetics. This needs to be followed up in other product areas where plastics or microbeads can be substituted with non-harmful alternatives.

We need to strengthen the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. It is still possible to preserve large, relatively unaffected marine ecosystems if measures are taken now. Sweden has allocated substantial funds to protect valuable marine environments in national waters and meet the commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The government has doubled the proportion of marine protected areas in Swedish waters the last couple of years. The current UN negotiations on a global and legally binding treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction will be of major importance for the future state of the ocean. International waters, covering around 45 per cent of Earth’s surface, contain the biggest reserve of biodiversity on the planet. Without a new international system to regulate all human activity on the high seas, they will remain zones of lawlessness and unsustainability. We cannot continue in an unregulated way if we are concerned about protecting biodiversity and protecting marine life.

We need to implement international agreements to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). The Port State Measures Agreement is designed to prevent vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. We need to harness and share the latest surveillance and tracking technology to bring illegal fishers to justice and ensure that our fish is caught sustainably. In coastal nations, where many people are dependent on fish for their daily living, we need to shift from industrial fishing to small-scale fishing. There is a need for a new push in the World Trade Organisation to finally agree to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies.

Key to success in all of this will be our ability to cooperate – from national to international and political to business level – to bring about healthy oceans and seas. A key will be to develop incentives for innovation and cooperation development within maritime industries, such as shipping, fishing, power production and mining. But this must be based on the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources. The Friends of Ocean Action, which I chair together with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, was launched to fast-track solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the oceans. The group consists of approximately 50 influential and committed stakeholders from science, technology, business, civil society and international organisations.

Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the goals of the Paris Agreement represent a major challenge for humanity. But a challenge that, if tackled correctly in international cooperation, can lead us to a better future. In a recently launched report, the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate underlined that we are on the cusp of a new economic era: one where growth is driven by interaction between rapid technological innovation, sustainable infrastructure investment, and increased resource productivity. This is the only growth story of the 21st century. It will result in efficient, liveable cities, low-carbon, smart and resilient infrastructure for all, and the restoration of degraded lands while protecting valuable forests. We can have growth that is strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive. What the Global Commission makes clear is that combating climate change is about development, growth and poverty eradication in a world with 7.6 billion people today and many more in the future. There is no doubt that the same is true for the ocean.