Canada’s Ocean Agenda and the Framework for Canadian Leadership on International Oceans

A review of effects on the environment of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) contribution to Canada’s Ocean Agenda and the Framework for Canadian Leadership on International Ocean, was co-developed with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Through our G7 Presidency in 2018, Canada took a leading role in strengthening international cooperation and partnership to improve ocean health, productivity, and coastal resilience.

With this initiative, the Government of Canada is investing $100 million to tackle plastic pollution and support developing countries to prevent plastic waste from entering the oceans, address plastic waste on shorelines, and better manage existing plastic resources. This funding will also spark innovation to beat plastic pollution and support innovative private-public partnerships

This initiative aims to improve ocean health and coastal resilience internationally and domestically including reducing plastic waste and marine plastic litter. More specifically, ECCC’s contribution supports the following Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goals: 1) healthy coasts and oceans; 2) effective action on climate change and; 3) modern and resilient infrastructure.

The contribution also supports sustainable economic growth and pollution mitigation by enabling investments in coastal clean-up activities and capacity building such as waste management infrastructure and support for microenterprises to develop new markets for recovered plastics.

Internationally, the initiative supports the following United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals (SDGs):

• SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production: by ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns
• SDG 13 Climate Action: by taking urgent action to combat climate change
• SDG 14 Life Below Water: by preventing and reducing marine pollution to conserve and sustain aquatic resources for sustainable use.