Declaration calls for more ocean-based renewables

On 19 February the Belgian government organised a major international conference on ‘Climate Change and Oceans Preservation.’ Over 500 participants from the worlds of policy, technology and industry attended. The Belgian government asked WindEurope to run the panel on the happy co-existence of ocean energy and biodiversity. The panel comprised EU Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy Miguel Arias Cañete, the Moroccan and Gabonese Environment Ministers, and the Head of Climate Change at the European Investment Bank. Commissioner Cañete echoed WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson’s opening statement: we must reconcile the desire to expand offshore renewables with the necessity to preserve our marine environment.