SINGAPORE, 18 November 2024 – At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), Ant International, a digital payment and financial technology leader, announced the launch of AquaViva, its new global programme for marine conservation, which aims to support healthy marine ecosystems through the company’s digital innovations and open collaborative partnerships. Ant International will focus on marine conservation as a key aspect of its environmental sustainability efforts.

The ocean represents our greatest ally against the impacts of climate change. It generates 50% of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions. Although over 190 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – an international commitment to better protect the planet, only 8% of the ocean is protected so far, short of the 30% target necessary to sustain the ocean’s benefits for our people and environment.

Ant International aims to leverage its expertise in tech innovation and reach via digital platforms to mobilise the global community that its businesses serve or intersect with, towards adopting a sustainability mindset and supporting eco-friendly initiatives that benefit marine ecosystems. Taking an open collaborative approach, Ant International will work with partners across public and private sectors to drive collective impact and aims to make more progress towards climate sustainability, MSME inclusion and digital enablement ahead of COP30.

With an ecosystem comprising over 90 million merchants, of which many are MSMEs, and 1.6 billion digital users, Ant International will leverage these extensive digital channels to reach global users to motivate them to take sustainable and meaningful actions towards marine conservation.

For example, Ant International has supported its ecosystem partner in the Philippines, with its GForest initiative, to encourage its users with eco-friendly activities and support tree planting.

Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ant International, said: “Digital innovation can play such a substantive role in sustainability awareness and action, as we have seen from the very successful forest initiative by our partner. Ant International decided to focus on marine conservation and biodiversity due to the huge impact that the ocean has, not just to the climate but to so many local communities and livelihoods, particularly here in Asia Pacific, where many communities are impacted by coastal changes. By leveraging our digital ecosystem and partners, we can effectively reach millions of users, and together with our knowledge partners, drive large-scale information sharing and incentivise users to take action and track their progress.”

Conservation International, a global organisation with over 25 years of experience in Asia Pacific (APAC) conservation, joins as AquaViva’s first key partner, contributing their deep expertise to protect oceans and enhance ecosystem health. Ant International and Conservation International will join hands to drive marine conservation efforts from Singapore, where both organisations have established presence, to the APAC region.

The inaugural joint project will focus on whale shark conservation in Indonesia. Led by  Conservation International’s main implementing partner Konservasi Indonesia, the project will  engage with Indonesian authorities and communities to develop and implement ecotourism policies and practices that support whale shark-friendly, sustainable tourism around key habitats in Saleh Bay, Sumbawa; Gorontalo, Sulawesi; and Kaimana, West Papua.

Dr Richard Jeo, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific Field Division, Conservation International, commented: “Oceans are the lifeline of our planet’s survival, yet their immense importance is often overlooked. Over 600 million people rely on the ocean for food and livelihoods, and it plays a critical role in regulating and stabilizing Earth’s climate. Protecting our oceans is essential for human survival. Initiatives like AquaViva are crucial in raising awareness about the ocean’s often-overlooked role in climate regulation, food security, and the emerging blue economy.”

The two parties will also further explore partnerships where Conservation International can enhance its research capacity on furthering their marine conservation work, leveraging Ant International’s digital solutions to draw more insights from the research data they collect.

AquaViva will leverage Ant International’s digital capabilities to raise awareness, educate communities, and foster a global mindset toward marine sustainability. This includes leveraging data analytics and outreach platforms to support Conservation International’s research and deepen insights into conservation efforts. Through these advanced digital tools, the partnership aims to inspire a broad audience, bringing together governments, corporations, and individuals to drive eco-friendly practices that benefit marine life