Mission 2020, a global initiative to show the commitment of the diving industry to protect and preserve the oceans for the future, launched on World Oceans Day 2018.
From dive centres to training agencies, organisations in the dive industry are making a pledge to change the way they run their businesses, focusing on reducing their environmental impact by 2020.
With commitments ranging from eliminating single-use plastic packaging to conducting hundreds of underwater clean-up dives, members of the dive industry are making a change for good.
Mission 2020 was started by Fourth Element co-founders Jim Standing and Paul Strike, as a commitment to eliminate plastic from the company’s packaging. The project has now grown to include many household names in scuba diving, along with some less well-known brands and businesses.
“When we dive, we see firsthand the effects that human activity has on the oceans. Recently, this has been brought home with heightened awareness of the fight against plastic pollution,” said Jim Standing. “Who can forget the haunting images of the diver in the sea of plastic off Bali, or the plastic contents of a whale’s stomach that has caused it to die of starvation. As divers, and as an industry, we have a responsibility to protect the oceans for future generations, and Mission 2020 is just a small part of the dive community’s efforts to achieve this.”
How to get involved in Mission 2020
If you represent an organisation within the dive industry, and you would like to write a pledge on behalf of your organisation.
Find out more at the Mission 2020 website and discover ways in which you can make a difference personally through your actions.
