“Action for clean and healthy oceans is a government priority. The Ocean Conference was a breakthrough for global ocean action and now it’s a matter of implementing the impressive to-do list drawn up by governments, business and other stakeholders. These initiatives will contribute to this action,” says Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate.

The Government’s global ocean action focuses on four areas: reducing the impact of climate change on the oceans, reducing marine litter, reducing destructive and illegal fishing and strengthening the protection of marine areas.

The SEK 80 million will go to a total of 15 different international projects, related in various ways to the four priorities. Continued efforts to reduce marine litter is a particular focus area the Government is working actively in, both nationally and internationally.

“Plastics in the oceans is a huge problem. But since the Ocean Conference, things have begun to happen. More and more countries are addressing the unsustainable use of single-use plastic, the use of intentionally added microplastics in a range of products, and the need to rid beaches and coastal areas of plastic waste. A great deal remains to be done, but there is hope,” says Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog.