2024 Our Ocean Conference
2024 Our Ocean Conference
April 15-17 | Athens, Greece
The Our Ocean Conference is an international gathering of national governments, international organizations, and ocean advocates making commitments to support tangible progress toward a healthier ocean.
See a list of the conference events Rare will be at, meet our country team leaders, and read news highlights. Learn more
Headed to the Our Ocean Conference?
Get in touch! Contact Briana Okuno at bokuno@rare.org
BE.Hive: Behavioral Insights to Environmental Impacts
BE.Hive is back to a live stage in 2024!
June 11, 2024 | 9:00am – 5:00pm
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Washington, D.C.
Join us for a day of science, surprises, and inspiration as we explore the evidence that supports applying behavioral and social sciences to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. More about the event
Rare Conversations with Wendy Paulson & Paul Butler
A legacy of people-centered conservation solutions: a Rare Conversation with Wendy Paulson & Paul Butler
April 23, 2024 | 1:00 pm ET, 12:00 pm CT, 10:00 am PT
Protecting nature is about people. Durable conservation and natural habitat protection rely on solutions that center the needs, motivations, challenges, and agency of local communities.
In a special Rare Conversation to celebrate Earth Day, Wendy Paulson, lifelong educator, conservation advocate and Chair Emerita of Rare will join Paul Butler, honorary Rare Trustee and lauded community conservation leader. This discussion will highlight Rare’s legacy of people-centered and community-led conservation, exploring what continues to inspire each as Rare looks forward after 50 years of leveraging pride and the science of human behavior to help protect our precious natural resources.
Ongoing Events
Rare Conversations
Rare Conversations is a virtual salon series featuring live, engaging conversations between Rare staff experts and special guests that explore how behavioral insights are expanding the field of conservation. Guests are encouraged to engage and ask questions.
Past Conversations have featured:
Behavior-Centered Design for the Environment Training
Behavior is at the root of environmental challenges. But it’s also key to finding solutions that last. Through interactive sessions, Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment will share easy-to-use tools and applied techniques for encouraging more sustainable behaviors. Participants will also receive opportunities for personal coaching sessions with our staff.
Learn more and check out the next upcoming training schedule
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Explore Past Events
Rare Conversations
Rare Conversations is a virtual salon series featuring live, engaging conversations between Rare staff experts and special guests that explore how behavioral insights are expanding the field of conservation.
Past Conversations have featured:
- Alizé Carrère
- Roberta Katz
- Leidy Klotz
- Julie Packard
- Robert Frank
- Sarah Stein Greenberg
- Ryland Engelhart
Rare at COP27
Ocean-Climate-Society: Challenges & opportunities for ocean mitigation, adaptation, finance & UNFCCC
Date: Nov. 15; 4:45 – 6:15 pm
Venue: Room 5- Memphis (300)
Hosts: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Blue Marine Foundation, European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD), Rare, University of Strathclyde
Description: Ocean ecosystems & coastal communities are being impacted by climate change, but the ocean also offers adaptation & mitigation actions. We will show examples of ocean adaptation, incl. Africa & Asia-Pacific, blue finance; collaboration; equitably with communities & ocean integration in the UNFCCC.
Fishing for Climate Resilience: Unlocking the collective potential of vulnerable coastal communities for climate action
Date: Nov 10; 9:00AM – 10:15AM
Venue: Resilience Hub
Host: Rare, Global Island Partnership (GLISPA)
Description: The event will showcase the positive impact nature-based solutions (NbS) in coastal ecosystems have on vulnerable coastal communities and small-scale fishers, as well as government strategies at all levels to implement and scale adaptation strategies with NbS and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). Local champions and international stakeholders involved in the Fishing for Climate Resilience project will share their journey.
Our Ocean Conference
The Our Ocean Conference is an annual gathering of government leaders, international NGOs, scientists, and advocates to make commitments that protect the ocean. The Republic of Palau is hosting this year’s conference (a first for a small island developing state), and Rare will be at the table—elevating the voices of local leaders and coastal communities and sharing solutions for people and nature.
COP26 UN Climate Change Conference
Rare participated the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) from the 31st of October to the 12th of November 2021, in Glasgow in the UK.
Learn more about Rare’s perspective at COP26
Rare partnered in several events, both in-person and virtual, as part of our strategy to:
- Elevate the voices of local leaders and coastal community members to underline the role of locally-led solutions in addressing climate change.
- Demonstrate that small-scale and networked ecosystem-based approaches for fishers and farmers contribute as tangible solutions for climate actions.
- Build momentum around ocean-climate action, particularly by integrating the needs and views of local communities.
BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution
Three days of inspiration, insight, and opportunity
Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment hosted its 3rd BE.Hive, centered on the intersection between water pollution and behavioral science. Nearly 300 people from 38 countries tuned in live to hear from 30+ presenters about the latest behavioral insights, environmental inspirations, and best-in-class opportunities for applying the science of human behavior to reduce water pollution.
Training in Spanish: Behavior Centered Design for the Environment
Spanish Behavior-Centered Design for the Environment Training
Virtual
August 5-6, 2020
Join us for an interactive virtual training in Behavior Centered Design, delivered in Spanish. Guided by trainers from Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment, you will explore the fundamentals of behavior change theory and strategy by working through a real-world challenge, gaining a deep understanding of how to apply our approach to your work to generate more effective, lasting solutions.
The Ocean Race Summit
The Ocean Race Summit
The Summit brought together 200 ocean conservation experts and advocates including business leaders and policymakers, scientists and technicians, solutions innovators, athletes, skippers, ocean advocates, environmental justice campaigners, marketers and storytellers, behavioral scientists, sports psychologists, young wavemakers and those living and working with the ocean.
The goal for The Ocean Race Summit is to identify solutions and to facilitate meaningful action. Experts are exploring ways to apply behavioral science, sports psychology and marketing tools to make an impact. Kevin Green from Rare’s BE.Center joined the Science of Action session to share behavioral science insights to save our oceans.
Changing Social Norms: Behaviour Change for Climate
Changing Social Norms: Behaviour Change for Climate
Oxford Climate Society
Rare is delighted to join the Oxford Climate Society to share how our human nature and desire to be social can be used to spark climate-friendly behavior.
Research has established that mitigating climate change will largely depend on changing mindsets, behaviours and societal norms. So where do we start? The Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated that many people can work from home and significantly reduce their travel. How can we make some of these low-carbon behaviour changes more permanent post-Covid? How can other low-carbon behaviours become normal in society?
Featuring Elke Weber, Professor of Psychology and Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor of Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, and Rare’s Kevin Green, Vice President of the Center for Behavior & the Environment.
SXSW Via Zoom
Make It Personal: 7 Steps to Impact Climate Change
Webinar
The South by Southwest festival was canceled, so we went virtual!
In partnership with Zoom, Rare CEO Brett Jenks shared the 7 behaviors individual people can adopt to actually move the needle on climate change, and Rare’s bold new initiative to spark their adoption.
UN Climate Change Conference - COP 25
UN Climate Change Conference – COP 25
IFEMA – Feria de Madrid
Madrid, Spain
December 2 – December 13, 2019
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the international response to climate change. It is a treaty that sets out the basic responsibilities of the 196 Parties (States) plus the European Union to fight climate change.
Rare works with local and national partners to demonstrate how sub-national level, and local action are critical for long-term and sustainable commitment to the Nationally Determined Contribution’s (NDC) implementation.
Leveraging first results from our ongoing ‘Fishing for Climate Resilience’ project, Rare took Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in coastal communities to center stage. Together with various partners ranging from government, to academia and NGOs, we hosted 3 side events. With over 90 additional events discussing the important link between climate and oceans at the COP25, examples of Rare’s unique approach to community-led, nature-based solutions in small-scale fisheries were well received by many.
Webinar: The Local Lens
The Local Lens: Engaging Photography Through Participatory Photography
Online
October 29, 2019
For the coastal fishing community of Zavora, Mozambique, the ocean is a way of life. Yet coastal overfishing threatens this small and dynamic community on the southeastern coast. Working with renowned photojournalist Jason Houston, Rare gave cameras to four community members to document their lives and share their experiences through their own lens. What emerged was a personal look at the people of this extraordinary place along Mozambique’s Wild Coast. Click below to explore how participatory photography can be used as a powerful tool for practitioners looking to engage communities and better understand their world.
Our Ocean Norway
Since its inception, Our Ocean has helped put our oceans’ health at the top of national and international political agendas. The conference brings together heads of state, ministers, philanthropy, NGOs, corporations, scientists and other experts to commit to taking actions that protect and revitalize our oceans. Rare has regularly and actively participated in Our Ocean over the years, highlighting the work and progress made by our Fish Forever program. Click below for key takeaways from the week in Oslo.
BE.Hive on Campus
BE.Hive on Campus
Carlise, PA
October 5, 2019
Rare in collaboration with Dickinson College, presented BE.Hive on Campus: Climate Change Needs Behavior Change. This interactive summit will convene environmental advocates, youth climate activists, sustainability pros, behavioral scientists and other visionary leaders to explore how campus communities can be at the forefront of promoting sustainable behaviors and curbing the climate crisis.
Behavior-Centered Design Challenge
Carlisle, PA
Friday, October 4, 2019
Ahead of BE.Hive on Campus, Rare hosted a Behavior-Centered Design Challenge at Dickinson College. Challenge participants, working in teams with direct coaching and partnership from leading behavioral science experts, worked to create real world solutions to address a specific greenhouse gas emissions challenge facing colleges and universities across the country. Winning teams received $1,500 and had their concepts highlighted at the BE.Hive on Campus summit.
Global Landscapes Forum
Narratives for Radical Change: Rare at Global Landscapes Forum
Bonn, Germany
June 22, 2019
Rare Managing Director of Climate & Water, Paula Caballero, spoke before the Global Landscapes Forum in Bonn, Germany during a session on the power of narratives to propel change. Caballero, a driving force behind the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), shared her experience shifting the global development narrative from one that divided the world into the haves and have-nots, to a unifying narrative in which all nations and constituencies share responsibility in building a more sustainable world.
Growing Blue Mozambique
Webinar: People, Behavior & Vibrant Oceans
Webinar: People, Behavior & Vibrant Oceans
Online
May 30, 2019
Dr. Steve Box, Rare’s Senior Vice President of Fish Forever, and Melissa Wright, oceans lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies, lead a webinar on shifting fishers’ behaviors to help curb overfishing.
Webinar: Behavior Change for Nature
Webinar: Behavior Change for Nature
Online
May 14, 2019
See how the Behavioural Insights Team and Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment are expanding the conservationist’s toolkit to include the latest insights from leading behavioral science.
BE.Hive: Climate Change Needs Behavior Change
BE.Hive: Climate Change Needs Behavior Change
National Geographic, Washington, DC
March 19, 2019
This day-long summit explored climate change through the lens of human behavior. Co-sponsored by Rare and National Geographic Society, the summit brought together climate experts, behavioral scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, students and others for a conversation about using what we know about human behavior and decision-making to help people reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. It was a day of hope, solutions, and the unexpected.
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