NZ's Glenn Edney to join Ocean Race Summit panel

Two Kiwi ocean activists will join the panel for the second Ocean Race Summit. © Ainhoa Sanchez / The Ocean Race

Ocean Spirit is extremely excited to announce that Glenn Edney is a panellist in next week’s Ocean Race Summit, streaming Live from The Hague on 27 May 2020, 14:00 - 18:15 (Central European Summer Time).

The Ocean Race Summits bring together leaders, top experts and other change-makers to share solutions and winning strategies to accelerate the restoration of ocean health, inspired by the spirit of ocean racing. Their goal is to identify solutions and to facilitate meaningful action.

Next week’s Summit, ahead of the 2021 – 2022 race, has Glenn in conversation with Dr Daniel Hikuroa - Senior Lecturer and Earth System Scientist at Te Wananga o Waipapa, University of Auckland. Together they present the case for “Personification of the Ocean”.

Glenn and Dan are joined on their panel in Session 3, Nature-based Rights, by: Jessica den Outer - Youth Ambassador for The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature Olivia Swaak-Goldman - Wildlife Justice Commission, The Hague They will then participate in Action Lab 4.

Glenn Edney is one of the founding trustees of the Ocean Spirit trust. - photo © Nature Education Network

Other Summit speakers include: Peter Thomson - United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Minna Epps - Director of IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme Dr Wallace J Nichols - author, Blue Mind

The Summit comprises 6 unique Sessions in which the speakers present their cases in an interactive TV show, followed by break-out Action Labs and online networking sessions. Innovation Workshops either side of the Summit make for a three-day focus on protecting our blue planet.

More information and speaker list can be found at the Ocean Race website.

You can watch a livestream featuring curated elements of the event starting at 1400 CEST/0800 EDT on May 27 here: www.theoceanrace.com/en/live

The race will be returning to New Zealand for the 12th time. The Race considers Auckland, the 5th stopover, to be the spiritual home of the race, with a legacy built on the legends of such iconic New Zealand sailors and race winners as Sir Peter Blake and Grant Dalton, and now leading into a younger generation with Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and Bianca Cook.

Richard Brisius, Race Chairman says: “The crew members appreciate the warm welcome and hospitality they receive here, before departing to undertake one of the biggest challenges they will face offshore – the Southern Ocean.”

” …. using the platform of ocean racing to develop an innovative sustainability programme focusing on contributing to ocean health restoration, maximising impact, minimizing footprint and delivering a positive legacy. The goal is to identify solutions and to facilitate meaningful action.”