

COP27 Side Event – Seabed 2030 – Mapping for People and Planet
16 November, 16:45-17:45 (UTC+02:00)
Ocean Pavilion, Blue Zone
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project is a global collective relentless in its pursuit of achieving a complete map of the ocean floor by 2030.
Undoubtedly, seabed mapping is an enabler of international management of our ocean, and influences the development of a sustainable blue economy. Seabed maps also provide the foundational knowledge we need to address many ocean, climate change, and biodiversity issues. Therefore, achieving a global ocean map by 2030 is not so much an ambition, but a necessity.
Without it, we will struggle to achieve joined-up policies, which in turn reduces our ability to effectively mitigate and adapt to climate change and realise a sustainable ocean that supports a growing global population.
And yet, over 75% of the ocean remains uncharted.
For this event, we bring together a diverse panel of experts to discuss how seabed mapping data is essential in addressing climate change and for safeguarding the future of the planet, and explore how we can work together to achieve this critical goal.
Seabed 2030’s session will:
- Consider the benefits of seabed mapping to the sustainable blue economy, blue carbon projects, and fisheries management in the face of a climate emergency.
- Explore the many ways seabed maps can help us prepare for rising sea levels, tsunamis, and coastal flooding under future climate change scenarios.
- Provide participants with a holistic view of how Seabed 2030 is engaging with partners, including those in government and the private sector, and demonstrate where there are strategic opportunities for collaboration.
- Aim to encourage and inspire global stakeholders to mobilise across sectors so that we can collectively find solutions that enable 100% of the ocean to be mapped.
For more information on The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, please visit our website, seabed2030.org, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @Seabed2030, or contact enquiries@seabed2030.org.
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is a collaboration between The Nippon Foundation, Japan’s largest private philanthropic organisation, and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), which has more than a century of experience in ocean-floor mapping. Its mission is to create a comprehensive, publicly available map of the entire ocean floor by 2030, which will empower the world to make informed policy decisions, use the ocean sustainably and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information.