Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem meets with the UK Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to discuss protection of the Antarctic Ocean, as part of a Greenpeace campaign to create a 1.8 million square kilometre Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary.
Last month, as a result of our campaign, Boris Johnson gave public backing to an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary. This was a big deal: he was the first Foreign Secretary around the world to vocally support our campaign and commit to prioritise Antarctic protection.
But as you may have seen on the news, Boris Johnson has now stepped down as Foreign Secretary. So now it’s up to us to make sure that his replacement, Jeremy Hunt, feels the same surge of public support for ocean protection. We want him to commit to raising Antarctic protection with the other countries that will decide this October whether to create an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary.
An Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary would cover an area five times the size of Germany, creating a safe haven for penguins, whales and seals. It would put the waters off-limits to industrial exploitation and help us avoid the worst effects of climate change.
1.8 million people around the world are now calling on governments to create an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary. In the UK, over 288,000 people have signed our petition to the Government to do everything they can to protect the Antarctic. When we work together, we can have a massive impact.
This summer, more than 14,000 people took the next step after signing the petition and wrote to their local MP, asking them to raise Antarctic protection with the Government. Some people have even met their MP to discuss this.
Members of Parliament have a duty to listen to the concerns of people living in their local area, and then lobby Government ministers on our behalf. We know that practically every MP has now received a message about the Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary. As a result, the Foreign Office has received over 100 letters from MPs, urging ministers to make Antarctic protection a diplomatic priority.
MPs from across the political spectrum have also been raising the issue in Parliament and showing their support for an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary on social media. Environment Secretary Michael Gove recently met with Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem to discuss Antarctic protection. Javier Bardem joined Greenpeace’s expedition to the Antarctic earlier this year, so wanted to share his personal stories about why we must protect this icy wilderness – and introduce Michael Gove to our penguin! Alan Duncan, the minister for the polar regions, has also voiced his support for protecting the Antarctic.
As Jeremy Hunt settles into his new role, he can decide to put Antarctic protection on the agenda when he meets ministers from around the world. We need him to make ocean conservation the political priority that it should be. We know that calling on our MPs to raise the issue with him works – so join people across the world and take 2 minutes to help protect the Antarctic today.