German Ocean Festival
Officially recognized as a UN Ocean Decade activity
In November 2024, the German Ocean Foundation, the Berlin Planetarium Foundation and the German Society for the United Nations organized a parliamentary ocean evening with ocean policy spokespersons Daniel Schneider (SPD), Astrid Damerow (CDU/CSU), Stefan Wenzel (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Olaf in der Beek (FDP) and Ina Latendorf (Die Linke), and keynote speakers Prof. Dr. Stephan Rahmstorf (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) and Anna von Rebay (Ocean Vision Legal) to the Zeiss-Großplanetarium in Berlin.
As was easy to see, there are a whole host of challenges that Germany must solve in a timely manner in order to meet the major requirements in the areas of sustainable development, the use of the oceans, ocean protection and the restoration of ecosystems that have already been destroyed. This is a mammoth task that we will only be able to achieve together and through constructive dialog. We were happy to hear that the parliamentary representatives of all parties are committed and passionate about continuing to work on this.
The parliamentary Ocean Evening was the prelude to future Ocean Festivals in Berlin, which, together with partners from business, science and society, will recognize the special importance of the oceans for our future existence in political Berlin. Close links to art and culture are a central element of the German Ocean Festival, as this is the only way to make these topics socially acceptable.
