Goal 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. With the rapid development of global warming, the UN noted that it is vital to our very existence that we improve our treatment of our oceans and rivers.
UN environmental experts believe that our oceans have absorbed at somewhere between 30 to 50% of the CO2 produced by humans since the Industrial Revolution popularised the burning of fossil fuels. However, our treatment of the oceans is causing fragile ecosystems like the Great Coral Reef to breakdown - depleting the amount of underwater creatures and plant life able to absorb CO2 entering our atmosphere.
One cause of this breakdown is plastic pollution. In 2021, 17 million metric tonnes of plastic entered our oceans. This total is predicted to double by 2040. 80% of this plastic entered our oceans via South Asian waterways, with a third being traced by rivers in the Philippines alone. However, most of the plastic waste does not originate from Asia. The US and Germany were the largest contributors of plastic waste in 2021; amassing 10 times more than low income countries they discard their waste in. This irresponsible dumping of plastic is overwhelming infrastructure in these smaller countries who cannot afford to appropriately care for the high volumes of plastic waste being shipped from the West.
Much of this plastic ends up floating on the surface of our oceans in huge waste sites like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which measured around 1.6 million square kilometres (the size of Texas).
Plastic debris in our oceans is having a horrifying impact on marine wildlife. WWF reports more than one million sea birds die a year due to plastic ingestion. In 2018, a sperm whale calf stranded on Spanish beach was found slowly starved due have 30 kilograms of plastic found clogging its digestive system. As the UN report notes, the loss of these innocent creature is incredibly tragic. However, our own crimes with be our undoing as without these creature maintaining the ecosystem, global warming will continue to rise.
The UN has set out 10 Targets to improve the conditions of global waters by 2030 including reducing ocean acidification; supporting small scale fisheries; and reducing marine pollution. The 2022 report reiterates that it is impossible to achieve these targets without the cooperation of global powers to e.g., clean up harmful chemical spills and protect vulnerable habitats.
However, the SDG student resource area also provides methods in which we can help tidy up our oceans. The website suggests activities like organising community clean ups of local coastlines; shopping responsibly at supermarkets by sourcing seafood from local fisheries; and reducing how much plastic you buy.