Lobbying

Protecting the Ocean is not limited to individual actions.
To effectively respond to current environmental threats, it is essential to fundamentally transform our public policies. At Surfrider Foundation, we make the voice of the ocean heard by decision-makers in France and Europe. Our goal: to influence laws and regulations to ensure the sustainable protection of aquatic environments.

Changing the law means addressing the root causes of environmental problems. By advocating for ambitious public policies, we are working towards an economic model that respects planetary boundaries, biodiversity, the climate and human health.

Advocacy for the Ocean

Surfrider Foundation Europe’s advocacy team is made up of committed experts who work with policy makers, public institutions and local authorities. Their mission is to promote the adoption and implementation of more ambitious environmental policies.

Drawing on solid scientific data, our advocacy officers make concrete recommendations to improve water quality, combat plastic pollution and coastal artificialisation, and mitigate the effects of climate change in order to preserve aquatic biodiversity and protect human health.

Defending ambitious goals

Surfrider Foundation works directly with institutions to advocate for strong measures to protect the ocean.

Our topics include:

Protection of aquatic environments: we played a key role in the inclusion of biomedia in the European Urban Waste Water Directive. This major step forward provides a better framework for the use of these media in water treatment systems, preventing their dispersion into the aquatic environment.
The fight against plastic pollution: Surfrider has campaigned strongly for the regulation of microplastics, contributing to the adoption of measures to ban their use in everyday products such as cosmetics. We have also actively advocated for the regulation of industrial plastic pellets, which are a major source of invisible but devastating pollution for marine ecosystems.
Protecting marine and coastal areas and promoting sustainability: integrating ocean protection into climate policies by advocating for climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction measures that take into account the vulnerability of marine environments.

Our advocacy work takes various forms

Drafting and distributing documents – manifestos, guides and recommendations, position papers, reports, etc. – to make our voice heard and fuel public debate.

Organising and participating in key events, such as Ocean Week at the European Parliament, to mobilise decision-makers around environmental issues and ensure more ambitious public policies for ocean conservation.

Meticulously monitoring texts and proposals and, where necessary, drafting amendments to be submitted to MEPs.

Dialogue with local authorities and economic stakeholders to encourage regional development in line with local and global environmental issues.

When dialogue fails, we resort to litigation to demand the rigorous application of environmental law, including the polluter pays principle, the precautionary principle and the principle of non-regression. Through this action, we firmly defend the exercise of environmental democracy.

Working in coalition: united for greater impact

Coalitions are essential tools for effectively influencing political decisions.
At Surfrider Foundation, we believe that collective strength is essential to advancing ocean protection. That is why we have created and joined numerous coalitions, at different levels, with various means of action and on multiple themes.

Joining forces with other actors increases our legitimacy by representing a stronger collective voice, but also establishes our credibility as a key player on key environmental issues.
By joining forces, we can align our messages to have a significant impact, while integrating diverse perspectives, not only environmental but also social and economic.

Working in coalitions offers several advantages:

Strengthening influence: By presenting common demands, we increase our ability to influence decision-makers.
Multiplying impact: Coordinating actions allows us to reach a wider audience and have a greater leverage effect.
Pooling resources: Scientific expertise, networks, communication capabilities… coalitions allow us to pool skills and knowledge.
Acting strategically: In Europe, where consensus is often necessary, coalitions are becoming key players in change.

Surfrider Foundation is part of more than 40 coalitions covering a variety of topics, with different lifespans and modes of action. For example, we are the originators or founding members of several major initiatives such as the Rethink Plastic Alliance (RPA), BeMed, Green Sports Alliance, Ocean & Climate Platform, and Blue Up.

Joining a coalition takes time, energy and a high level of coordination, but the results are convincing. Our victories in terms of regulations on microplastics and single-use plastics in European directives are concrete examples of this.
Faced with the climate emergency and the crisis facing the oceans, working in silos or alone is no longer an option. It is a matter of our collective responsibility and the effectiveness of our advocacy.