“This isn’t one group’s responsibility, and no one group has the ability to do this alone. This is all of us together.”
John Warner
"Oceans. Climate. Life." was a Parley Talks session and launch event held at the United Nations in New York, on the occasion of the 2015 High-Level Meeting on Climate Change convened by the President of the General Assembly. Hosted by Fabien Coustea and uniting notable guests from the worlds of fashion, art, entertainment, science and environmentalism, the event put the oceans at the forefront of discussions in the run-up to COP21 and subsequent Paris Climate Accord. "UN x Parley: Oceans. Climate. Life." also celebrated the formation of new alliances and collaborations to make peace between humankind and its greatest life support system.
World Oceans Day, June 8, is an annual reminder to protect and conserve our life-giving ecosystem. It's a time to celebrate and reflect. It's also a time to act. We honored the 2017 commemoration of World Oceans Day day by returning to the General Assembly Hall during the first high-level UN Ocean Conference. Together with the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), we co-organized a highlight event with a focus on solutions and the most promising drivers of change. Speakers included: Dr. Sylvia Earle, Diego Luna, Sir Richard Branson and leaders from across the worlds of marine science, policy, space exploration, youth activism and the arts.
FABIEN COUSTEAU / HOST
Third-generation aquanaut, explorer, conservationist and documentary filmmaker Fabien Cousteau is the founder and CEO of Plant a Fish, a nonprofit dedicated to marine restoration through active community engagement. He is currently working on a feature film and book, as well as establishing the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center.
CYRILL GUTSCH
Cyrill is an award winning designer, brand and product developer. In 2012 he decided to focus on a new client: The Oceans. He then founded Parley as a collaboration space for creators, leaders and thinkers to create awareness for the beauty and fragility of the Oceans and to start and manage collaborations that can end their destruction.
CAPTAIN PAUL WATSON
Paul co-founded Greenpeace with Robert Hunter, founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation society in 1977, and has been an activist for over 40 years. His work is recognized and supported by the best minds and feared by his opponents. He joined the conference live via Skype from aboard one of his ships on the sea.
LOUIE PSIHOYOS
Louie Psihoyos is Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society and Director of the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove. He has been widely regarded as one of the top photographers in the world. He was hired directly out of college to shoot for National Geographic and created images for the magazine for 18 years.
SYLVIA EARLE
Sylvia A. Earle, Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society, Founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER), and former Chief Scientist of NOAA. Author of more than 200 publications, Sylvia has lead countless expeditions with 7000+ hours underwater. Her research focuses on conservation of marine ecosystems.
DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD
Adventurer, ecologist, author, documentarian and environmentalist, David may be best known for launching Plastiki, a boat made from 12,000 reclaimed plastic bottles, that sailed from San Francisco, CA to Sydney, Australia, in order to raise awareness for the effects of global warming and plastic pollution in our oceans.
IAIN KERR
Dr. Iain Kerr is the CEO of the Ocean Alliance, an organization recognized as an international leader in whale research and ocean conservation since its founding by renowned scientist Dr. Roger Payne in 1970. Ocean Alliance programs include the Voyage’s of the Odyssey and the Patagonia Right Whale Program.
ORA ITO
Award-winning iconoclastic artist and designer Ora ïto rose to international acclaim by hijacking in 3D the products of the world’s most emblematic and influential brands. Today, his name is a brand of design in and of itself. In 2014, the decorated artist was presented with six Red Dot Design awards and three IF Design awards.
CHRIS JORDAN
Chris is an acclaimed photographic artist and cultural activist based in Seattle. His work explores contemporary mass culture from a variety of photographic and conceptual perspectives, connecting the viewer viscerally to the enormity and power of humanity’s collective unconscious. His images have been exhibited around the world.
ERIC LIEDTKE
During his 20-year career with adidas, Eric has played a pivotal role in upholding and continuously elevating the high product and sustainability standards that set the multinational corporation apart. He is Executive Board Member responsible for the multinational corporation’s Global Brands (adidas and Reebok).
JOHN WARNER
John has published over 200 patents, papers and books. His recent work in the fields of semiconductor design, biodegradable plastics, personal care products, solar energy and polymeric photoresists are examples of how green chemistry principles can be immediately incorporated into commercially relevant applications.
CAPTAIN SID CHAKRAVARTY
After having spent a decade of his life on commercial tankers, Sid decided to wed knowledge and experience with passion. He joined Sea Shepherd Conservation society in 2011 and has been on a leader on the frontlines of marine conservation ever since, displaying a tireless dedication to the defense of our oceans.
TIM COOMBS
Tim studied economics and product design in school, as well as textile engineering at leading fashion houses in New York. He cofounded Bionic Yarn in 2004 based on the concept of advanced recycled materials. Tim believes that environmental sustainability is possible if we can harmonize the economy with nature.
DIANNA COHEN
TED speaker, multi-media artist, painter and curator Dianna Cohen is best known for her works using recycled plastic bags. She is Co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a global alliance of individuals working to stop plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, animals and the environment.