Suez Environnement to support UNESCO initiatives to protect oceans from pollution

French utility Suez Environnement has formed a partnership with the UNESCO Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) to protect the oceans from pollution.

IOC/UNESCO and the Ocean and Climate Platform 2015 celebrated World Oceans Day on 8 June, where Suez Environnement pledged to support the actions taken by the IOC/UNESCO in the long term to prevent the pollution of seas and coasts worldwide.

UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova said: "Oceans are essential to our well-being and the future of our planet. All governments and all societies must unite their efforts to protect them."

The group will continue its support for the initiatives taken by four NGOs which aim to protect marine ecosystems on the five continents.

Those include the expedition to the North (May-June) and South (October-November) Atlantic headed by 7ème Continent, the expedition in the Mediterranean (July-August) by Expédition MED, the actions taken by Goodplanet for raising awareness among the general public and the aquatic waste monitoring project on the European coasts by Surfrider Foundation Europe.

The French firm, which had been involved in sustainable management of resources, offers solutions across countries and continents for preservation of water resources and recycling and reuse of wastes.

Suez Environnement recommends solutions which can limit oceanic pollution at the earliest stage.

The firm intends to anticipate the level of pollution from land, especially at wastewater treatment plants level. It supports the development of Ecoseastem, as a research project at the Nice Haliotis wastewater treatment plant in France.

The project intends to identify pollution caused by plastic microfibers and assess their effect on the natural ecosystem. It will then try to spot or devise technologies which can prevent such pollution.

The second of the proposed solutions will ensure protection for the coastlines and enrich bio-diversity along those with the use of technologies devised to improve the quality of bathing water.

The firm has helped to rehabilitate 24km of coastline and beaches in Casablanca, Morocco with the installation of the East coast anti-pollution system in the country.

Suez Environnement has also suggested about preservation of biodiversity for marine ecosystems by supporting global implementation of technologies to treat ballast water in ships.

Suez Environnement managing director Jean-Louis Chaussade said: "Taking up the challenge of preserving our oceans requires all the stakeholders- players from politics, the economy and civil society – to be mobilised.

"We are delighted about this partnership with IOC/UNESCO and several NGOs. It will allow us to progress in our fight against the pollution of the oceans, by pooling our solutions and sharing our capacities for research and innovation."