EBCD is proud to announce that our colleague, Alexandra Philippe, has taken on the role of Support Group Coordinator for NGOs within the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP). In this capacity, she will focus on fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and addressing critical challenges within the aquaculture and fisheries sectors. Alexandra will contribute her expertise to developing practical solutions that will support the energy transition toward a cleaner, greener future.
The Energy Transition Partnership, launched in June 2023, is a platform that brings together stakeholders committed to accelerating the energy transition of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. It aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing in key areas such as innovation, technology, skills, and finance, with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The ETP has appointed ten Support Group Coordinators, who will provide insights, exchange best practices, and assist the European Commission in developing the ETP roadmap, which will set measurable milestones to guide the transition to a sustainable future by 2025 (more).
Perspectives from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Kenya, and the Pacific showcased how they are incorporating aquatic foods into their NDCs and aligning global and national goals and targets. Discussions revealed that aquatic foods are underrepresented in climate policies despite their potential for climate-smart adaptation and mitigation. Aiming to bridge this gap, speakers outlined innovative solutions and highlighted what they are doing to elevate aquatic foods in their national capacity. In this regard, Australia highlighted how indigenous communities are being integrated more in fisheries and aquaculture decision-making, while Brazil focused on solutions to prevent deforestation for aquaculture feed. Cambodia showcased its policy integration efforts and collaboration across sectors and a SIDS representative stressed the importance of aquatic foods in the Pacific region and developing measures to mitigate permanent species migration. Finally, Kenya discussed ways to make the aquatic food sector more gender inclusive. Across the board, speakers called for increased financial investments, better data collection, and the repurposing of harmful subsidies to drive sustainable practices.
The event concluded with a unified call to integrate aquatic foods into global and national climate strategies. Increased investment, policy alignment, and advocacy in international forums like COP are crucial to unlocking their potential as climate solutions. Aquatic foods, the panel agreed, are indispensable to achieving global climate and food security goals.
