Cleaning Up Trash in Vietnam

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) engages volunteers to clean up waterways around the world. Since its beginning in 1986, more than 17 million volunteers have collected more than 348 million pounds of trash. One of my favorite things about the ICC is that everyone can make a global impact by starting to pick up trash in their local communities. Here in Vietnam, I recently got to join a cleanup in my home country. 

The cleanup location, Can Gio, is a suburban coastal district located 31 miles (50km) from Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown and is an important spot for many reasons. It is home to the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve which was recognized as a global biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2000. The rich mangrove forest here is considered to be the city’s lungs and is in need of protection from issues like deforestation, coastal erosion and plastic pollution. 

Can Gio beach is known for its unique dark brown sand and water, resulting as the intersection of the three major rivers in Southeast Vietnam, including the Saigon, Vam Co and Dong Nai. Because of its  proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, the beach is an important part of the city’s action plan to reduce ocean plastic waste, and the local government supported our cleanup efforts. 

I was joined by 220 volunteers of all ages and professions. There were retired women, primary school students, CEOs and families, all gathered early in the morning ready for the Can Gio cleanup. Everyone was excited to be a part of this meaningful work in service of the environment and their home city. 

The volunteers’ energy and passion for the environment could be seen on each of their faces and in their hard work picking up trash. “We need to protect our planet, and we can provide value in helping our environment become greener and cleaner, and especially for the ocean,” said Nguyen Quang Hy, one volunteer who joined us for the clean up. “As it is right now, there is a lot of garbage on this beach. Let’s act together because our small actions will benefit the whole world as well as the beauty of the ocean.”

After an hour of cleaning, we collected 3,900 lbs (1,773kg ) of trash! To add to the excitement, two prizes were offered: one for the team that collected the most trash and another for the team that picked up the strangest items. Interestingly, the team that picked up the most trash was the team with the youngest members, picking up a total of 402 lbs (183kg). 

Choosing which team would receive the award for he strangest items was quite challenging but also fun since there were many types of bizarre trash found including blankets, pillows, mosquito nets, mats and teddy bears. Many teams eloquently made their case to prove that their items were the strangest. Finally, the award was given to the team that found a bicycle saddle.

This cleanup is not a one-off event but part of Ocean Conservancy’s ongoing efforts to support Vietnam’s National Action Plan for Plastic Waste Management through 2030). As part of this initiative, we’re working with international and local partners to raise awareness of plastic pollution with projects like a zero-waste program in schools in Phu Yen, the “Clean River, Blue Sea” contest awarding ideas for tackling trash in Nam Dinh, and a “green school” program in Hanoi that teaches students to become environmental ambassadors. Cleanups like this one are also great tools for spreading awareness. The 220 volunteers who attended not only saw the impact of plastic pollution first hand, they become advocates, reaching   thousands of people in their networks, from family to friends and coworkers. This event was just one of many important pieces of the puzzle in supporting Vietnam’s  fight against marine plastic pollution. Together, we can reach our goal of trash free seas.

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Ocean Solutions for Clean Energy

We didn’t leave the Stone Age because we ran out of stones.

To avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, it’s crucial that we shift energy production away from the unsustainable fossil fuels that cause climate change and towards those that release little to no greenhouse gases (GHG), such as solar and wind power. To meet our climate goals, a massive acceleration in the global deployment of clean- energy technologies is needed now. Generating renewable energy from offshore wind and decarbonizing the shipping industry can provide large ocean-based climate-mitigation opportunities in the United States and globally, and these are essential elements of a clean energy future. 

These two key ocean-climate solutions were featured at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF) which brought together clean-energy leaders from around the world to accelerate the clean-energy transition. These leaders represented governments, international organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society. More than 6,000 people participated in the Forum and roughly 150 different events intended to drive concrete action to implement clean energy commitments that build on historic advancements in innovative technologies and investments. 

Clean energy is key to national security.

The key takeaway from the Forum was the critical need to speed up the deployment of existing clean-energy tools and technologies that will reverse the current emissions trends and keep the planet on a path towards warming of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Underscoring this theme was the need for the clean energy transition as a national security imperative. The Ukrainian Minister of Energy, German Galushchenko, delivered this message most clearly and discussed how the war in Ukraine has created massive volatility in global energy markets which could lead to an international energy war. He spoke about how a clean-energy transition is key to achieving energy independence and security for his nation and beyond. This was echoed by the Small Island Developing States in attendance, including the Maldives, Seychelles and Tuvalu, regarding their countries’ continued reliance on expensive diesel for meeting energy needs. The clean-energy transition is an essential solution, not only for the climate crisis but also for achieving national independence, security and prosperity.  

Green hydrogen has an important role to play in the clean-energy transition.

In addition to the focus on renewable energy sources, many experts highlighted the role of green hydrogen in meeting the demands of a clean-energy future. Hydrogen took center stage due to the role it could play in sectors, like shipping, in which getting to zero-carbon is complicated. This is a problem that will require major investments in research, development and deployment of low- and zero-emission fuels, vessels that can run on those fuels, and ports that can service those vessels while eliminating their own emissions. One solution is to deploy Green Shipping Corridors, essentially zero-emission routes between two or more ports, which can incentivize early and rapid adoption of green fuels and technologies. Developing Green Shipping Corridors, including the key elements of green ports and zero-emissions alternative fuels, were highlighted as crucial next steps for collaboration between the maritime and green hydrogen industry, which could speed up the deployment of and demand for green hydrogen while globally reducing emissions from the shipping sector.

Green Shipping Corridors emerge as the or a key implementation tool for decarbonizing global shipping.

In addition, there were updates of ongoing efforts to guide and support Green Shipping Corridors throughcommitments made by ports to help reduce their GHG emissions and air pollution. Green ports are essential to the development of successful green corridors and enable the transformation of the entire shipping value chain. Some examples we heard include, but are not limited to, the Port of Seattle stepping up to partner with cruise ships, communities, nonprofits and industry on developing green corridors, and the Port of San Diego creating a maritime clean air strategy.

United States’ climate and clean-energy investments are poised to make a global impact.

This year two massive pieces of legislation were signed into law with critical investments in transportation, infrastructure and climate: the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Notably the recent IRA bill is recognized as “once in a generation” funding to jump-start a clean-energy transition, which will decrease America’s GHG emissions by an estimated 40% by 2030. From offshore wind to clean hydrogen to clean shipping, the IIJA and IRA bills were pointed to as essential pieces of legislation that will help the United States decarbonize and meet our climate goals. 

Key Announcements

The list highlights several of the new ocean-relevant announcements that came from the Global Clean Energy Action Forum and the other high-level climate events this fall: 

• United States unveils draft national clean-hydrogen strategy and roadmap: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a draft National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, setting the goal for the United States to produce 50 million tonnes of clean hydrogen per year by 2050, up from “nearly zero” today. 
• 10 More Leading Shippers Join Initiative for Maritime Decarbonization: The Aspen Institute announced that 10 more leading companies joined the Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) initiative, more than doubling the number of shippers that have committed to accelerating the transition to zero-carbon maritime shipping. 
• Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) announced: During an event at Climate Week NYC, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the government of Denmark announced that they are forming a new Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) with the goal of helping the world install 380 GW of offshore wind by 2030. 
• DOE opens $7B hydrogen hub funding opportunity & issues draft production standard: The U.S. DOE is now accepting applications for $7 billion in funding to develop at least a six regional clean-hydrogen hubs across the country. 
• Green Corridors: Feasibility phase blueprint: The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, in a joint effort with McKinsey & Company, has developed a new blueprint for designing, assessing and demonstrating the feasibility of green corridors that serves as a ready-to-use guide for any stakeholder involved in green corridors for decarbonizing shipping. 
• Ports for People: Pacific Environment announced its “Ports for People” initiative “to transform ports from hotspots of fossil fuel pollution to thriving hubs of sustainable economic development and environmental protection.”
• Pacific Environment & Opportunity Green release ports playbook for zero-emission ocean shipping: In connection with Climate Week NYC 2022, Pacific Environment and Opportunity Green released a playbook for ports to accelerate action in the race to a zero-emission ocean shipping future. 

Momentum Toward COP27

Right now international leaders are travelling to COP27, the largest international convening to solve the climate crisis. The announcements from GCEAF can help make progress towards meeting our global decarbonization goals, however, previous climate commitments have still not been met and global emissions continue to rise. To meet our climate goals, nations must work to meet their existing commitments and will need to set more ambitious targets as the window for staying within our 1.5-degree Celsius target gets smaller and smaller. Therefore, implementation and deployment will continue to be a critical focus at COP27 next week. 

Climate change poses the single biggest threat to our ocean and to the future of the planet. Greenhouse gas emissions must reach net zero by 2050 to keep global warming under 1.5°C—the threshold set by scientists to avoid the most severe impacts from climate change. This will require the transformation of nearly every sector of the global economy, including the often-overlooked ocean-based sectors. Learn more about how the ocean can help us tackle climate change here.  

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On Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Ocean Conservation

After many weeks of rain here in the Pacific Northwest, we are officially deep into fall. I always find that a change in seasons is a natural time of reflection—particularly now as we approach the end of another year. 

November is significant because it’s when we celebrate Native American Heritage Month. This November, once again, I find myself reflecting on many things, including history, culture and our relationship to the natural world.

I lived in Alaska early in my career and still feel a deep connection to that special place. It was in Alaska that I began thinking more deeply about my connection to the land and the ocean and my responsibilities in stewarding the places that nurture and support us. I was deeply fortunate to learn alongside Alaska Native mentors who modeled an example of living in close relationship with the natural world. 

I invite you to read a recent piece by my colleague Jonathon Ross, Ocean Conservancy’s new director of Arctic Indigenous-led conservation. In this post, Jonathon speaks to the importance of trust, respect and stronger partnerships between conservation organizations and Alaska Native entities. Doing this requires many in the ocean conservation space—including many of us here at Ocean Conservancy—to understand and support diverse ways of thinking about conservation.

There has been a growing—and necessary—conversation in the western science and conservation fields about incorporating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in our work. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines TEK as the “knowledge acquired by indigenous [sic] and local peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment.” This vast network of information includes relationships among plants, animals, processes, climate and humans and is passed from generation to generation. Although definitions of TEK can vary based on the source, at its core TEK is about collaboration, stewardship and understanding of our natural world.  

Although TEK is, quite obviously, not new, western science and resource management have historically been slow to incorporate Indigenous and local knowledge in research and policies. Even as use of TEK has grown in western science over the last few decades, the process has been far from seamless, with examples of western science incorrectly applying or oversimplifying TEK. But there are also many instances of effective incorporation of the two. When trying to determine if the Alexander Archipelago wolf should be listed under the Endangered Species Act, for example, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists interviewed nine Alaskan knowledge-bearers about the cultural significance of the wolf. Now, Indigenous knowledge is included in the final report, addressing both the biological and cultural significance of the animals. Read about another recent example of using Hawaiian TEK to design a National Estuarine Research Reserve.

With both Indigenous-led conservation and the application of TEK in western science, the goal is to use knowledge to conserve the natural places and communities we love and depend on. TEK addresses a critical link—we are not just observing natural processes where nature is reduced to data and separated from people but seeing people as part of a natural community. 

As Jonathon puts it, TEK is about embracing “ways of thinking about the world in which people and nature are intrinsically linked and in relationship.” This approach to reciprocity will help us pursue wise solutions—solutions that benefit both the ocean and people. 

If you’re looking for additional ways to reflect during Native American Heritage Month, I recommend this deep dive about how you can practice “two-eyed seeing” (a term first shared by Mi’kmaw elder Dr. Albert Marshall). “Two-eyed seeing” provides a way to understand nature and come up with durable conservation solutions by looking through the lens of both Indigenous and western knowledge. 

Thank you for joining me in taking time to reflect on this important topic and joining me in celebrating Native American Heritage Month. 

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