Speech on marine pollution
Historical archive
Published under: Solberg's Government
Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Speech/statement | Date: 29/09/2018
By Former Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup (New York, 29 September)
Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup's speech at the Global Citizen Concert, in Central Park, New York, on marin pollution.
The state of the oceans is critical.
Last year, a whale stranded on a beach in Norway.
Killed - by plastic.
Take a look at the screen. In its belly, we found plastic bags from all corners of the world.
For Norway, this was a strong call to action.
Plastic in the ocean does not disappear.
It turns into microplastic that finds its way
- into wildlife.
- into what we eat.
- into what we drink.
It contaminates our very existence.
During my minute here on stage, another 15 tonnes of plastic will enter the oceans.
It is time to stop using our oceans as a dumpster.
That is why I am here to announce that Norway - over the next four years - will spend two-hundred million dollars to fight marine litter.
At the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Solberg will continue to push for ocean action!
Together we can save our oceans.
Let´s make it happen!