This Earth Day, PADI® and the newly debuted PADI AWARE Foundation® announce their joint blueprint to achieve critical conservation goals, commencing the PADI Decade of Ocean Action.

The organizations join the United Nations’ universal call for a Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically supporting the implementation of SDG14 – Life Below Water.

Over the next 10-years, the PADI Decade of Ocean Action will work to:

• Rid the oceans of marine debris, reducing marine debris by 50% in targeted countries through strategic partnerships and the PADI AWARE Community Grant Program.
• Multiply the number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), protecting 30% of the ocean through partner collaboration and expansion of the Adopt a Dive Site program.
• Protect endangered and vulnerable marine species, protecting 20 vulnerable shark and ray species by deploying in-country conservation campaigns.
• Accelerate coral reef recovery and restoration, restoring 5% of coral reef habitats through citizen science programs and project funding for key coral reef habitats.
• Reduce and offset the carbon footprint of the diving industry, achieving carbon neutrality across the PADI organization’s supply chain and mobilizing PADI Torchbearers to restore, protect and fund seagrass habitats to offset carbon.

“To achieve these goals, we will unite the largest network of dive centers and resorts, dive professionals and divers to take action as PADI Torchbearers in their communities, linking local action to global impact,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide. “Saving the ocean requires all of us acting together in thousands of ways on a local level, united by our passion and armed with a clear plan of action to turn the dial towards a healthy future for both people and planet.”

As a PADI Member, you play a critical role in the global effort to create a more sustainable future. As leaders of the PADI Torchbearer Community, you have the power of influence with your students and serve as positive role models and mentors on how to best co-exist with nature – both above and below the surface. By offering PADI AWARE programs and conservation courses, you are taking an active role in the Decade of Ocean Action.

To learn more about the PADI Torchbearer community and how you can get involved throughout the PADI Decade of Ocean Action, visit padi.com/conservation.

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