the importance of society action: raising awareness and
TRANSCRIPT
The importance of society action: raising awareness
and involvement of stakeholders with co-responsibility
“International Conference on Prevention and Management
of Marine Litter in European Seas”
Berlin April 10-12, 2013
Joana Mira Veiga
Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC)
is the average amount of waste
a European citizen produces every year
25% is recycled (*)
15% is composted (*)
22% Incinerated (*)
38% landfilled (*)
(*) EU27, Eurostat, 2010
500 kg (*)
“EN-cycle”!
Marine Litter has the advantage of being
easy to grasp and engage people with
Easy to grasp, difficult to solve
Complex problem…
- rooted in our current paradigm of consumption/use of resources
- multitude of responsibilities – so many and interlinked that is almost a no-man’s land…
Easy to grasp, difficult to solve
We tend to blame someone else, rather than taking our share of responsibility and acting within our range of action
Easy to grasp, difficult to solve
- Cumulative effect of many people’s actions over time that becomes problematic, rather than the individual consumer’s actions per se
Individuals vs Society
- Impacts of our own behaviour and choices are not always immediate and visible
Jean Hill
Ban the sale of bottled water < 1L in Concord
(Massachusetts, USA)
“Ms Hill says she was inspired to begin her campaign by her
grandson, who told her about a vast floating island of
plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean.”
(BBC News – 3 January 2013)
Can ordinary people make a difference?...
Rebecca Hosking
All 43 shops in Modbury (UK) joined the town-wide
ban of single-use plastic bags
“The Modbury initiative was started after a local resident
saw the damage plastic can cause marine life.“
(BBC News – 29 October 2007)
Public participation e.g. Clean-up events within the “Oceans Initiative” (Surfrider Foundation)
2013 (until date) Nr events organised: 972
Nr of participants: 39.000
Waste collected: 490 m3
information/education/awareness, YES
The responsibility of consumers
but also
availability/accessibility of CHOICE in what we use, how we use it and how we dispose it
The responsibility of Society
Responsible behaviour when buying, using and disposing products and materials
Responsible design and innovative alternatives that satisfy and help shaping a more responsible demand
Appropriate systems to collect waste and channel them to recycling/recovery
Directing change through regulations and incentives, to encourage or discourage specific types of market and promote innovation
Society Business &
Industry
Governments
Waste management
Consumers
MARLISCO is a FP7 project funded by the European Commission. The views and opinions expressed in this presentation are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission
Diverse consortium: -Local & Regional authorities -Researchers -NGOs -Plastic Producers -Plastic Recyclers -Multimedia companies
Wide geographic coverage:
4 EU Regional Seas
15 coastal countries
• FP7-Science in Society
• €4.1 M
• 36 months, June 2012 – May 2015
• Led by the Province of Teramo (IT)
The goals - increase the AWARENESS of the consequences of societal behaviour in relation
to waste production and management
- promote CO-RESPONSIBILITY among the different actors
- define a more sustainable COLLECTIVE VISION
- facilitate dialogue for CONCERTED ACTIONS
HOW ?
Developing a series of mechanisms to engage, inform and empower society,
making use of innovative multimedia approaches,
to reach the widest possible audience, in the most effective manner.
Clear, sound, evidence-based message
- Current state of understanding - Setting a clear picture re marine litter in each of the regional seas (e.g. main types, sources, trends and distributions) to help identify key actors and priorities.
Educational activities and resources - National exhibitions - Workshops and other hands-on events - Pedagogical material - Online “serious game” - Web-documentary
Public awareness, informed decisions and responsible behaviour
Engaging youngsters
European VIDEO CONTEST launched in September 2013, encouraging them to get in touch with the issue and collecting their views on the problem Children as agents of change in society
“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”
Best practices Assessment of current practices and potential solutions that can be considered and exploited elsewhere
- Compilation of ML management practices (72)
- Promotion of innovative, effective and efficient ones
Enhance Co-responsibility It is possible to move towards better
practices Synergies between sectorial policies and key
actors
It’s all about perception…
Evaluation of perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders regarding the issue and how these
are impacted by MARLISCO’s activities
Survey on perceptions: type of litter found in the sea, sources, consequences and responsibilities What is the level of awareness and barriers in respect to understanding the issue and taking action How people’s attitudes on impacts and potential solutions vary between countries and stakeholder groups
National Marine Litter Forum: Developing solutions together
Development of a platform for structured dialogue among key stakeholders and society
Societal vision
Identify concerns, priorities and consensus
Resolve barriers
Explore concerted solutions and articulation between stakeholders
• Dialogue open to general pubic (webcasted events)
• Feed into the process of implementation of the MSFD (e.g. programme of measures)
Be part of this collective effort!
How to support and benefit from MARLISCO:
- Take part in the stakeholder survey and disseminate it among your colleagues and network: https://www.psy.plymouth.ac.uk/MARLISCO/
- Follow the national activities being carried in the 15 countries
- Get in touch with MARLISCO partner in your country to collaborate in the National Forum
- Bridge your own initiative with MARLISCO for synergies and maximum impact
- Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn Group
Thank you! [email protected]
www.marlisco.eu
Stoppons les Dechets Marins
Juntos por um Mar sem lixo
Çöpsüz Denizler İçin El Ele
Insieme per un Mare senza rifiuti
Μαζί Για Θάλασσες Χωρίς Σκουπίδια
Samen voor een zee zonder zwerfvuil
ÎMPREUNĂ PUNEM CAPĂT DEŞEURILOR MARINE
ДА СПРЕМ ЗАМЪРСЯВАНЕТО НА ЧЕРНО МОРЕ ЗАЕДНО