Finding the Right Partners Is Key to Protecting Our Oceans and Curbing Climate Change

Jen Ronk

Sustainability has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In the fifth grade, I wrote an essay about the importance of caring for our environment. I’ve grown up thinking about how all ecosystems are interconnected and how we must act more sustainably to protect the planet. It’s also a family business — my dad, who was in school for ecosystems analysis when I was young, instilled these beliefs in his kids from the start.

It may not have been the ocean, but growing up on the coast of Lake Michigan in Green Bay certainly felt like it at times. My dad was a scuba instructor part-time while he was in school, and I would tag along as he taught people to dive in pools and the Great Lakes. When I imagined scuba diving in the ocean, I pictured the vast blue as something mysterious, glamorous, and amazing.

When I eventually moved to San Diego, I learned that my imagination was right. Even when I lived near the ocean, it kept its mystique in my mind while becoming a part of the fabric of my family’s day-to-day life.

The opportunity to serve as a senior sustainability manager at Dow brought my career and my passion for oceans and conservation together, focusing on sustainability for our waterways and our planet at large. I work with my colleagues and fellow engineers and scientists to create strategic partnerships and targeted investments in communities to help protect natural resources through low-carbon, circular solutions.
Although I’ve moved from the California coast, my ties to the water haven’t dissolved. I’m now in Texas, and part of my work toward ocean restoration involves working with the Galveston Bay Foundation to conduct marine debris surveys on the Texas City Dike. Dow also collaborates with GBF to provide more impactful education around sustainability and reduce litter in the environment.

At the core of this partnership, and with all of our other work to protect and restore the world’s waterways, is a recognition that the ocean plays a critical role as a carbon sink, which is essential for curbing climate change. Still, ocean challenges are complicated and often intersect, requiring a range of initiatives that take a more holistic and collaborative approach that protects our ocean — and the coastal communities that rely on it for their livelihood.

A holistic approach — with science and innovation at the fore

Plastics are undoubtedly a contributor to ocean waste, and restoring our ocean will require a sustained global commitment to reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. But from light-weighting automobiles to protective coatings for solar panels, plastics are an important part of a low-carbon future.  So, we must support circularity by building a more robust recycling infrastructure and programs. At Dow, we are taking action to combat this complicated problem through a multi-pronged approach. This includes our Stop the Waste Initiative, which commits to enabling 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused, or recycled through direct actions and partnerships while supporting good, green jobs. In 2021, the initiative did just that for 23,000 metric tons of plastic waste — an increase of 15,000 metric tons over 2020, while launching new on-the-ground programs in local communities.

But plastics are not the only source impacting the ocean and marine life, so exclusively focusing on them risks losing sight of interconnected problems. For example, the United Nations estimates that 95% of global ocean damage is the direct result of bottom trawling — a technique used in commercial fishing. And, according to the WWF, the single greatest threat to most sea turtles is fishing gear.

Science and innovation are finding new ways to reduce the impact of fishing on our ocean while improving the quality of life around the globe with access to food and jobs. For example, the One SmartFish technology harnesses hydroacoustic sensors with sonar and machine learning technology to track and identify ocean life caught in nets under the water. This innovation helps the industry identify fish in real time and what the current fish stocks are in a given area. 

Building a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous global ocean economy

Millions of people around the world rely on the blue economy for their livelihoods, working in industries like waste management, tourism or marine shipping. Unfortunately, work in the blue economy often comes with low wages and can involve unsafe, outdated equipment in less-than-ideal conditions. While we act to clean and protect the ocean, we must also create a more equitable and sustainable system for surrounding local communities.

The CoopeProMar program, led by the World Bank, is a great example of making a difference by supporting fishing cooperatives in Costa Rica. CoopeProMar cultivates community talent to build out new infrastructure and support additional income for fishers through alternative work. It also focuses on strengthening the local marketplace and broader value chain.

Many blue economy workers, especially those at fisheries, face similar difficulties to many waste workers around the world: low pay, hazardous environments, and difficult work. At Dow, we know investing in careers through training and professionalization can make a difference.

For example, Dow recently partnered with Mr. Green Africa, the continent’s first Certified B Corporation recycling company. The partnership supports additional income for local communities while diverting plastic from informal dumpsites. Instead, this valuable material is recycled into new high-quality plastic applications. Dow is investing in the people and skills to get the job done, and we are seeing firsthand how green jobs for waste workers result in improvements in sustainable practices, waste reduction, and wages.

Tackling climate change by saving our ocean

The ocean and its rich biodiversity play a critical role in tackling climate change. We must increase our efforts to reduce ocean pollution by continuing to partner with a number of stakeholders — scientists, industry, government, communities, and others — to find new, creative, and effective ways we can accelerate toward a net-zero carbon future by 2050. As we come together, we’re also keeping in mind how these challenges intersect with challenges in the broader value chain. By investing in the people we partner with, we’re better positioned to make a difference.

Jen Ronk is Senior Sustainability Manager, in North America at Dow.