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North Carolina Aquariums have joined with other members of the Aquarium Conservation PartnershipTo work towards climate neutrality
The 24 institutions, which including the state aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, along with Jennette’s Pier, will work to “leverage their outstanding legacy of leadership in conservation, science, communication, and education to realize climate solutions,” the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the aquariums, announced Thursday.
As part of this pledge, aquarium officials say they are committing to the following actions:
- Within one year of signing the agreement, complete an initial inventory of greenhouse gases.
- Monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions annually.
- Within two years of signing the agreement, develop an emission reduction plan.
- Identifying and implementing strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in operations.
- Making use of operational commitments in order to advocate for climate change policies at the state, national, and federal levels.
- Communicating the journey towards net-zero emissions
“The NC Aquariums have completed step one and are now focusing our efforts on steps two and three,” said Maylon White, division director, North Carolina Aquariums in a statement.
“We are working with the Verdis group to develop an emissions reduction plan. We gathered information earlier this year from our Aquarium teams through a sustainability survey; these data and our initial greenhouse gas inventory will be instrumental in developing our emissions reduction plan.” Verdis GroupA consulting firm that assists organizations in identifying and implementing sustainable solutions.
The global ocean has been absorbing heat from climate change for decades. More than 90% of excess heat is absorbed by it, and nearly a third are emitted by greenhouse gases. According to the aquarium, the result is an ocean that’s warmer, more acidic and starved for oxygen. It is also less habitable for fish or marine wildlife.
According to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, while the rate of emissions growth has slowed, in 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history. Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach.
“As leaders in conservation, aquariums are expected to walk their talk, and that’s exactly what this partnership is meant to do,” said Aquarium Conservation Partnership Executive Director Kim McIntyre. “We are uniquely qualified to set an example for others—in reducing our carbon footprint, encouraging sustainable operating practices, and inspiring hope in a public that is hungry to be part of the solution.”
Annually, the 24 Aquarium Conservation Partnership aquariums welcome more than 30 million visitors and contribute more than $22.5 billion to the U.S. economy. The aquariums’ ongoing commitment to expanding sustainable practices has already collectively eliminated more than 1 million single-use plastic bottles from landfills since 2018.
