The World Ocean Council (WOC) Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) has become the premier forum for advancing industry leadership, ocean sustainable development, science and stewardship. Following the success of SOS in Singapore (2015), Washington D.C. (2013), Belfast (2010), Rotterdam (2016) and the continuing growth of the WOC, SOS 2017 was organized in Halifax, Canada, from November 29 to December 1, 2017.
The SOS 2017 theme “The Ocean Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14): Business Leadership and Business Opportunities” has been addressed in a unique global business conference program. The SOS provided a timely, global platform for leadership companies and organizations to advance Corporate Ocean Responsibility and the implementation of ocean business community solutions to ocean sustainable development challenges.
Over three days, SOS 2017 attendees explored a range of cross-sectoral topics, strategies and solutions through workshops, plenary and parallel sessions. The working format helped identify clear, realistic pathways to successfully achieving shared objectives for sustainable ocean use.
The SOS 2017 theme recognized:
- The growth of the Ocean Economy and its contribution to the food, energy, transport, communications and other needs of society as part of the U.N. SDG process/Agenda 2030.
- The role of the Ocean Business Community over the next 15 years, and beyond, in ensuring ocean sustainable development.