This week, the 2017 Ministerial Meeting on Science takes place in Turin, Italy. Ministers and senior officials from across the G7 congratulated the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Working Group on the significant progress it has made since Ministers last met in May 2016.
The Working Group, which is made up of marine scientists and government science ministries from across the G7, is being led by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy with the NOC and NERC playing an integral part in driving forward Working Group activities, with support from the NOC Association.
Ministers agreed that the work of the group has the potential to lead to a step-change in realising more rapidly and cost-effectively the potential of international ocean science to support achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 13:Climate Action and 14:Life Below Water, along with others.
As outlined in the newly published G7 Turin Communiqué and annex (an executive summary of the Working Group’s report on progress since May 2016) the Working Group will meet before the end of 2017 to agree action plans that ensure continued strong progress in 2018. The group’s full report, as well as a separate report on progress made by the Working Group’s Action 1 sub-groups can be read on the G7Italy.it website. The executive summary is based on recommendations arising from a pan-G7 workshop hosted by NOC in November last year.
Professor Edward Hill, Executive Director of the National Oceanography Centre said “I am very encouraged to see the tremendous progress made in the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean initiative and am very pleased that the National Oceanography Centre is playing a key role in supporting this work.”