When councillors from the City of Edinburgh next vote on infrastructure or city planning projects, they will do so with ocean health and recovery at the forefront of the decision-making process. It’s just part of the action the local council has voted for to promote a clean and healthy ocean environment for the coming generations.

Becoming the first in Scotland to voice its Ocean Recovery Declaration, the City of Edinburgh Council has voted to take action for cleaner and healthier seas and adopt a “practical pathway to support ocean recovery” whether that’s incorporating ‘ocean health’ into local planning or developing robust ocean literacy programmes for local school children.

The declaration is part of Motion for the Ocean, a UK-wide initiative to promote ocean health on a local, council-to-council basis across England, Scotland, and Wales. The Motion was brought to Edinburgh city councillors by local resident, Natasha Stewart and brought forward by Councillor Conor Savage.

“I am delighted City of Edinburgh Council has passed my Motion for the Ocean,” said Savage. “I’d like to thank all those who assisted with its development, came out to advocate for it, as well as my fellow Councillors who supported it.

“Embedding ocean recovery into the Council’s decision-making processes will ensure we are playing our part in making sure that Edinburgh’s marine ecosystems are healthy and resilient, providing all the functions on which we depend.”

Once bound by land, Edinburgh has over the centuries grown to join ports and harbours such as Portobello, Leith, Newhaven, Granton, and Cramond to put the marine ecosystem at the centre of the city’s economy. The UK-wide Motion for the Ocean initiative aims to provide a nation-wide framework for helping local councils and their residents reconnect with the ocean.

“Every child, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to visit the ocean as it can light a spark of lifelong inspiration,” said Savage. “How fantastic would it be, for Edinburgh to now proudly produce the next David Attenborough, stemming from the foundations we’ve now laid. Hopefully, this lays the groundwork for others to follow, adding to our city’s already rich coastal and marine heritage.”

Edinburgh joins 36 English and Welsh councils in making an Ocean Recovery Declaration, ranging in size from Town to Parish to City to County Councils. The initiative has been developed by experts, including marine biologist, Emily Cunningham, in response to the decline in the state of the global ocean. It recognises that local authorities have a unique role to play in reversing the trend of deteriorating health.

Emily Cunningham MBE, marine expert and co-founder of the Motion for the Ocean Local Government Ocean Recovery Declaration, said: “Congratulations to the City of Edinburgh Council on becoming the first Scottish Council to make an Ocean Recovery Declaration. Local authorities cannot solve this alone, but they can and must play their part.”

To help them on their way, the team provides free and impartial support to Councillors interested in developing a Motion for the Ocean. The Motion for the Ocean initiative also empowers residents on a local level.

Natasha Stewart, an early years practitioner and sustainability lead at Hope Cottage Nursery and local resident was instrumental in bringing the Declaration to the attention of the City of Edinburgh Council, championing the initiative for its emphasis on collaboration across individuals and businesses while “fostering citizenship and partnerships to turn the tide on ocean pollution and global plastics crisis.”

In her own role with Hope Cottage Nursery, Stewart had previously worked with the Marine Conservation Society and Edinburgh Council Procurement Councillor, Steve Burgess to bring in a city-wide ban on glitter and “so-called eco-glitter” in the online schools resources, to help prevent microplastic pollution escaping to the sea.

Calum Duncan, head of policy and advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Natasha was instrumental in persuading Edinburgh Council to no longer procure plastic glitter due to environmental impacts, which we are grateful for, and this motion would build on this ocean leadership and grow ocean literacy. With the motion now passed, we look forward to working in partnership to help the City of Edinburgh Council connect with people of all ages with its wonderful ocean foreshore.”

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