Cork City Council is proud to host European Maritime Day 2025, not just as a celebration, but as a call for action. We stand with coastal cities across Europe, with researchers, with communities, with innovators, to bring the ocean pact and this blue city's declaration to life. Let Cork be the point of proof that with collaboration, vision and commitment, a better ocean future is not only possible, it is already underway.
Cork, as one of the identified over 100 climate neutral and smart cities in the European Union, is deeply committed to sustainable climate action, particularly the use of innovative technology to make sure that we not only identify the environmental difficulties we experience, but come up with innovative ways in which the threats can be minimised and indeed the potentials can be maximised.
European Maritime Day being an opportunity discuss with fellow regions how we as a city can build upon our experiences and learn from the experiences of our visitors from elsewhere. Together we have a shared responsibility to make sure that the proper approaches are taken and the best results can be achieved.
We are delighted that an ocean's pact will soon be finalised. It's important that such an agreement is reached. It's important that the planet, which is 70% water, should be looked at in those terms. Most of our difficulties in terms of the environment stem with how the oceans have been used as some type of disposal bin for the rest of humanity.
We cannot continue that way. We should never have started. We need to put in place means which start enhancing and protecting our ocean environment. The oceans pact is an important part of that process and the journey we need to be taking to make sure that a blue deal is one that serves the planet and the people who share it.