WOC CEO Addresses Arctic Economic Council on Opportunities for Collaboration in Sustainable Development.The Arctic Economic Council (AEC) invited the World Ocean Council (WOC) to provide a briefing on the WOC and to identify and foster discussion on priorities for collaboration in Arctic sustainable development.

WOC CEO, Paul Holthus, focussed on two key areas for collaboration, stating, “There is an important opportunity for the AEC and WOC to partner in increasing the role of industry in collecting and sharing data in the Arctic, such as through the use of ships to host or deploy instruments. The WOC is working to advance our ‘Smart Ocean-Smart Industries’ program in the Arctic to cost-effectively increase the understanding of Arctic weather, climate, seabed, ocean ecosystems, acidification and other often poorly documented aspects of the region.

CEO Leconte added, “The WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit exemplifies the unique, high level leadership and convening role that the WOC plays in bringing ocean industries together. I had the pleasure and honor of joining ten other ocean company leaders, each from a different sector, in the unique ‘Ocean Executive Forum’ at the SOS 2016 in Rotterdam.”

WOC CEO, Paul Holthus, stated, “We are honoured to have Orange Marine as one of our newest Members, and the first operational submarine cable company in the WOC. The WOC is actively providing leadership in developments with important implications for the submarine cable sector, such as ensuring consistent industry involvement in the U.N. negotiations on a new legally binding agreement under the Law of the Sea to address biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.”

Secondly, more broadly, the AEC and the WOC could well work together - with and for the overall Arctic business community - in the crafting of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and indicators for the Arctic private sector, building on the overall SDGs and the work of the WOC in analysing the SDGs and developing guidance for the ocean business community.

The Arctic Economic Council (AEC) is an independent organization that facilitates Arctic business-to-business activities and responsible economic development through the sharing of best practices, technological solutions, standards, and other information.

The 2017 AEC Annual Meeting is taking place in Fairbanks, Alaska, May 8-9, 2017, in conjunction with the Ministerial Arctic Council meeting and the gathering of many other Arctic stakeholders in Fairbanks during the Week of the Arctic.In parallel with the Arctic Council’s chairmanship transferring to Finland this week, leadership of the Arctic Economic Council will be taken on by Finland-based Tero Vauraste, President and CEO of Arctia Ltd (a WOC Member company).