Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

PETER THOMSON, the U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy for the ocean, visited Shenzhen last month during the China Marine Economy Expo, exploring the city’s marine innovations and efforts to integrate nature into urban development.

Thomson attended the expo’s opening ceremony and took part in discussions and field visits focused on ocean governance and the sustainable development of the marine economy.

The expo offered a glimpse of the industry’s future, he said.

“It is the biggest display of new marine technology I’ve ever seen in my life,” Thomson said, describing the innovations on show as impressive and eye-opening.

One exhibit that caught his attention was a floating aquaculture facility — essentially, a factory at sea. Seawater flows through the facility while fish are raised inside, offering an alternative to conventional fishing.

“You don’t have to catch the fish. You’re growing the fish inside,” he said, calling it an interesting concept and an example of the innovation he encountered at the expo.

For Thomson, such innovation is closely linked to a broader global challenge. “There is no healthy planet without a healthy ocean,” he said, emphasizing that ocean protection requires both technological progress and stronger international cooperation.

Beyond the exhibition halls, Thomson also explored how Shenzhen is incorporating nature into its urban development.

He praised the Urban Index of Shenzhen (UIS), a framework built around six dimensions of urban development, saying it offered a compelling vision for future cities.

Comparing Shenzhen with his hometown of Melbourne, he said: “When I look at Shenzhen’s six dimensions of the UIS, I compare them with my hometown of Melbourne. And I think Shenzhen has got it right. Those six dimensions are what really matter for the cities of the future.”

Thomson also encouraged visitors to explore the city beyond conference rooms. At the Lighthouse Library in Yantian District, he praised the library’s community services and its contribution to Shenzhen’s livability.

“The library is very much in harmony with Shenzhen’s impressive ethos of livability for its citizens,” he said. “Shenzhen, with its active symbiosis with Mother Nature, is indeed the city of the future.”

His visit also came as Shenzhen prepares to host APEC meetings. Thomson said APEC could help advance Sustainable Development Goal 14 — Life Below Water — across the Asia-Pacific, a region central to the sustainable blue economy.

“I think APEC can do much to promote the implementation of SDG 14 in the Asia-Pacific. The APEC meeting in Shenzhen is a really important moment for the sustainable blue economy,” he said.

He warned that the world must act urgently on climate change. With global warming already exceeding the 1.5-degree threshold, he cautioned, surpassing 2 degrees Celsius would leave future generations facing increasingly difficult conditions.

Innovation, he said, could help change course. “I think through innovation we can turn that around, because people are now aware that the health of the ocean is in decline.”