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"Without a healthy ocean life, our planet as we
know would not exist," Momoa said with the sea behind him as he
took part in an event on a Portuguese beach ahead of the United
Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, which starts on Monday.
Around 7,000 people, from heads of state to environmental
activists, are expected to attend the conference, which was
postponed from 2020 to this year due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
Dozens of youth activists from various countries clapped and
cheered as Momoa, who will soon become the U.N. Environment
Programme advocate for Life Below Water, spoke about the
problems facing the world's oceans.
"We must seek to right the wrongs we have done against our
children and grandchildren, turn the tide on our irresponsible
stewardship and build momentum for a future where humanity can
once again live in harmony with nature," said Momoa, 42.
Momoa is known for his role as Arthur Curry, a half-human, half-Atlantean
character in DC Comics' Aquaman, which takes viewers to the
underwater world of the seven seas. Aquaman 2 is scheduled for
release in March 2023.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres joined Momoa at the
event and apologised on behalf of his generation for not doing
enough at the time to tackle climate change, save the ocean and
protect biodiversity.
"Even today we are moving too slowly...we are still moving in
the wrong direction," Guterres said, also pointing a finger at
the fossil fuel industry. "It's time for these behaviours to be
seriously condemned."
The ocean covers 70% of the planet's surface, generating over
half of the world's oxygen and absorbing 25% of all carbon
dioxide emissions but climate change is increasing its
temperature and causing sea levels to rise.
Eleven million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each
year, a figure that's expected to triple by 2040 unless
production and use of throwaway are reduced, multiple scientific
studies show.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Pedro Nunes in
Carcavelos; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
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