49 days, 527kms, 98,000 calories and 500,000 strokes to success!
Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh helps spur UK government action to protect the world’s oceans
27 September 2018
On 24 September, the UK government declared that it will back the call to fully protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The historic announcement to put marine protection at the top of the UNGA agenda follows warnings from the scientific community and a recent campaign by Lewis Pugh, endurance swimmer, UN Patron of the Oceans and the first Beyond Sport Global Awards winner for Climate Action.
As previously reported, Pugh swam across the length of the English Channel from 12 July to 29 August in ‘The Long Swim’ campaign to call on the British government to urgently protect the waters around the UK coast and British Overseas Territories. He was greeted at the end of the swim by Michael Gove, UK Secretary of State for the Environment, for one on one discussions about the future of the UK and global waters.
Through our thinkBeyond consultancy arm, we worked with the Lewis Pugh Foundation to shape the campaign message, secure sponsorship and manage partnerships. The agency secured Lead Partner FXTM, Official Partner Speedo and Lead Broadcast Partner Sky. thinkBeyond also delivered event management for the Foundation along the route as part of the partner delivery to FXTM.
“It was inspiring for all our team to work with Lewis on The Long Swim. We’re proud to be supporting his efforts to push for worldwide change. The UK’s decision is further evidence of the power of sport to cut through and place issues of social and sustainable development at the top of the global agenda,” said thinkBeyond Managing Director, Alexandra Chalat.
From Land’s End to Dover, Pugh documented what he saw, including the scarcity of wildlife, the destruction caused by overfishing and the abundance of plastic polluting the ocean.
His epic swim raised awareness about ocean health, but also on the positive impact marine conversation zones would have on marine life. Oceans represent three-quarters of the Earth’s surfaces and 97% of the planet’s habitable space, but only 3.7% of oceans are designated as marine protection areas.
“The current global target for marine protection, as set by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, is 10% by 2020. But as the world approaches that deadline, having fallen short and with our oceans under increasing pressure, the scientific community has warned that this number needs to dramatically increase to at least 30% in order for oceans to recover,” stated Pugh after the announcement.
Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey urged fellow nations to join the call at the UNGA, and, in November, the UK will join almost 200 other nations in Egypt to negotiate a new global target. This action makes the UK the first major economy to recognize the large scale importance of ocean protection.
“If this call is supported by other nations and followed through, it will be the most important moment in ocean conservation history…Imagine a future where our oceans teem with life in harmony once again. This can be our generation’s legacy,” stated Pugh.
Congratulations, Lewis!
Photos: Lewis Pugh