Gov. Jay Inslee’s maritime sector lead, Joshua Berger, traveled to Paris and Norway to share Washington’s ocean economy story with global partners.
Last month I traveled to France and Norway to share insights about our ocean economy work in Washington. In January, the governor unveiled Washington Maritime Blue 2050 Strategy, a comprehensive implementation plan for the ocean economy. It has captured international interest because it’s among the first efforts in the world to move beyond an economic vision and into action. It is a passion of mine and a passion of the governor who has fought for years for economic opportunity in the maritime sector, and against the twin scourges of climate change and ocean acidification.
When I was in Paris, I took part in a United Nations intergovernmental round table that hosted 37 member countries. Most of us needed to use translation headsets but the language differences didn’t act as a barrier: we were there with a common purpose to make our ocean economy stronger and ecosystem healthier. My presentation focused on how the governor’s strategy engages key players to find consensus and draw out leadership and action.
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.