Hollywood actor and movie star Jason Momoa, also known as Aquaman, has been designated as United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), advocate under the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP).
Momoa, also an ocean activist, was made the advocate at a major conference mobilising global support for an ocean besieged by the triple planetary climate change crisis, biodiversity loss, and rampant pollution.
Momoa, who played the role of prince of the ocean in DC’s Aquaman movie has worked with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and rePurpose Global, described how humbled he felt to be entrusted with the responsibility to promote ocean health.
He said: “With this designation, I hope to continue my own journey to protect and conserve the ocean and all living things on our beautiful blue planet, for our generation and the generations to come.”
Aquaman has been a human right advocate for people of island nations, and he described how growing up on one of the world’s most beautiful archipelagos ingrained in him a reverence for the ocean and nature that has only deepened over the years. “For me, the ocean is an ancient teacher, a guide and a muse. It is also existential. Without a healthy ocean, life on our planet as we know it would not exist.,” Momoa said.
UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen expressed her delight on the designation, saying: “We are so pleased to have Jason Momoa joining the UN family as UNEP’s Advocate for Life Below Water. “In 2021, the 4 primary measures of climate change – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification – all hit record highs. This means the time for action is now,” she added.
Andersen said: “With a huge audience of engaged fans, we believe that Jason can move ocean considerations into the hearts and minds of citizens and business leaders to promote this urgency and action.
Momoa, the star of Aquaman and the upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, made remarks ahead of the Youth and Innovation Forum, where he arrived on a boat to receive the Nature Baton from the UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson. Momoa then handed the baton to youth representatives before they, in turn, passed it to the UN Secretary-General.
A global collaboration for the ocean’s wellbeing, The Nature Baton, , has shone a spotlight on the need for action to save the world’s ocean and is a metaphor for the journey ocean champions have taken this year from Brest to Nairobi for the UN Environment Assembly, to Palau for the Our Oceans Conference, and World Environment Day in Stockholm, on the road to Lisbon.
