Mourant announces Ocean Pledge on World Ocean Day
As a global business and a responsible corporate citizen, we know that environmental sustainability is an imperative for our firm, as it is for many of our clients. How we choose to operate impacts future generations and we recognise that we have a role to play in protecting our planet and our people.
As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we chose to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to focus on the areas where Mourant can make the most difference. One such goal is SDG 14 - Life Below Water.
Protecting the world's ocean is important to us and to this end, in partnership with our global employee-led Environment & Sustainability Network, in 2022 we developed the Mourant Ocean Pledge, demonstrating our commitment not only on World Ocean Day, but for the months and years ahead:
.jpg "Article image")
Our partnership with Ocean Culture Life
At the beginning of 2024 we confirmed the continuation of our longstanding partnership with Jersey registered charity, Ocean Culture Life (OCL).
OCL's goal is to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural marine environment by widening and deepening public understanding of the ocean's issues and challenges.
This year, we supported OCL in the delivery of its World Oceans Week 2024 programme. This inspirational programme of events in Jersey pivots around World Oceans Week, and includes school sessions, storytelling, workshops and community activities.
In addition, OCL Co Founders, Matt Porteous and Tamsin Raine, visited the Mourant Jersey office to talk about their continued work and unveil their new book, 'The Ocean Speaks', a remarkable collection of stories from ocean enthusiasts around the globe.
Celebrating World Oceans Week 2024 with our friends and clients
In further celebration of World Oceans Week, our Jersey office hosted our ocean-themed annual client event. Guests heard inspiring ocean storytellers including former NASA astronaut turned aquanaut, Nicole Stott, and author Christina Korp, former manager to Apollo 11 astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. Both speakers shared their incredible insights on how space exploration and technology is helping us to better understand and protect our oceans.
Awards success
In recognition of the firm’s commitment to sustainability and positive environmental impact, we were proud to be awarded the 2024 ESG Initiative of the Year award for our innovative partnership with Ocean Culture Life at the Chartered Governance Institute Jersey Annual Dinner, Graduation, and Awards evening on Friday 11 October.
Charles Clover at the Guernsey Literary Festival 2024
In April 2024, the Guernsey Literary Festival brought some of the world's greatest writers, speakers and thinkers to Guernsey. At the festival, Mourant was proud to sponsor an event with environmental journalist, charity executive and author, Charles Clover.
Charles spoke about his latest book: 'Rewilding the Sea: How to Save Our Oceans - Environment and Nature'; a celebration of what happens when we step aside and let nature repair the damage, whether it is the overfishing of bluefin tuna across the Atlantic, the destruction of coral gardens by dredgers in Lyme Bay, or the restoration of oysters on the East Coast of America.
In her role as chair, Sally Rochester, Director of Mourant Consulting in Guernsey, interviewed Charles following his talk. Charles told Sally that Guernsey's local waters are being exploited less, evidenced by rich populations of seagrasses, and said this can help position Guernsey as a meaningful player in sea rewilding.
Exploring marine conservation with local experts
In autumn 2024, our Guernsey office ran a series of internal presentations for staff focusing on the importance of marine conservation and marine projects currently underway in the region, such as the Bailiwick Eelgrass Exploration Project and Bailiwick DolFin Project.
Guest speakers included Mel Allen-Broadhurst from Alderney Wildlife Trust, Nikki Harris from La Société Guernesiaise, and Jessi Jennings from the Nature Commission.
Regular beach cleans
At Mourant, teams across our Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong and Jersey offices take part in regular beach cleans, helping to contribute to the creation of a cleaner marine environment.
On a recent Guernsey beach clean, our enthusiastic team collected an impressive 18.4 kilos of litter and prevented 121 pieces of microplastic from entering the ocean. Some interesting finds included a water bottle that originated in China and a bullet casing that likely dates back to WWII!
Supporting marine education programmes for Jersey schoolchildren
.jpg "Article image")
As part of our firm's ongoing commitment to the Mourant Ocean Pledge, in 2023 we continued our support of two important ocean conservation awareness initiatives in Jersey, aimed at schoolchildren on the Island.
Delivered by two ocean conservation organisations, Blue Marine Foundation and OCL, pupils were given the chance to participate in interactive games to help them understand about marine ecosystems and learn the importance of protecting and preserving our oceans.
Blue Marine also ran a sea snorkelling session for the children, which was facilitated by the Jersey-based Bouley Bay Dive Centre.
Celebrating World Ocean Day 2023
In celebration of World Ocean Day 2023, we hosted an event for our friends and clients in partnership with OCL. Guests were treated to locally and sustainably sourced food and drinks against the incredible coastal backdrop of the Jersey coastline.
After dinner, guests heard from ocean storytellers and marine guardians including Marine Biologist - Madeline St Clair, Wildlife Conservation Biologist and Filmmaker - Kaush Subramaniam, Marine Biologist and Coral Reef Ecologist - Professor David Smith, CEO of Equilibrium Futures - Andrew Mitchell, and Matt Porteous and Tamsin Raine – Co Founders of OCL; who all spoke passionately about the part we can all play in protecting our planet's most precious resource.
Supporting the work of organisations dedicated to marine conservation
In support of our pledge, Mourant is proud to have partnered with a number of organisations committed to protecting and preserving our world's oceans. Find out more about these projects by clicking on the links below:
Plastic Free Cayman, Cayman Islands
Beach clean in collaboration with Hong Kong Cleanup, Hong Kong
Sustainability supporter of the STEP Guernsey Conference for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 events
Blue Marine Foundation - Snorkel Portelet, Jersey
Ocean Culture Life - World Ocean Day 2022, Jersey
