OCEAN APPROVED® Label
A sustainability label at the crossroads of the major challenges of our century: the fight against climate change and biodiversity preservation
An engaged community for a preserved ocean
The OCEAN APPROVED® label makes it possible to identify and bring together all the organizations (companies, communities) that are committed to reducing their impact on the Ocean beyond compliance with current regulations.
Based on the Ocean Framework, the OCEAN APPROVED® label enables the recognition of this commitment, and makes it visible to all their stakeholders, both local and international: customers, distributors, suppliers, partners, employees, regulators, funders and investors.
Why choose the Ocean Approved® label?
COMMITMENT
Ensure recognition of commitment and results
ANTICIPATION
Be a leader and pioneer to better anticipate market changes
MOBILISATION
Mobilise teams around visible issues
TRANSPARENCY
Commitments are controlled by independent auditors
An accessible process
The OCEAN APPROVED® label is a general and voluntary label. It was designed to be accessible to any organization (company, communities) regardless of their size, sector of activity and country of practice.
The two-level structure of the label allows any organization to enter the labelling process, regardless of its maturity in managing its impacts on the Ocean. The OCEAN APPROVED® label is part of a continuous improvement process of the organization.
Two levels of labelling are offered depending on the maturity of the company.
OCEAN APPROVED® “Committed”: Commitment of means
OCEAN APPROVED® “Advanced”: Obligation of results
The OCEAN APPROVED® label is awarded for a period of three years and is renewable.
A demanding label – Rigorous governance
The OCEAN APPROVED® label guarantees the credibility of your approach to sustainable ocean management, which is why the labeling process is very demanding.
The rules, criteria and labeling process of the OCEAN APPROVED® label take into account the 12 principles of the charter project on CSR labels (Report of the French General Direction of the Treasury – 2021).
A governance committee has been set up, its mission is to guide the work and issue an opinion on the proposals of Fondation de la Mer, owner of the Label. It brings together representatives of various stakeholders (scientists, companies, investors, ministries) and will be consulted at each significant change in the label.
The governance of the Label is organised around three committees:
Two advisory committees for the definition and evolution of the operating rules of the Label : the Scientific and Technical Committee, and the Governance Committee
A decision-making committee for awarding the Label : the Labelling Committee
Scientific and Technical Committee
Advances in science as well as user feedback from adherent companies must be taken into account in order to keep developing the Framework, and to maintain it at the highest level of scientific rigor and robustness.
To guide, frame and validate these developments, Fondation de la Mer has set up the ‘Scientific and Technical Committee.’ This committee is made up of recognized experts in all the fields covered by the Framework, and chaired by Françoise Gaill.
Emeritus Director of Researches at the CNRS
Research Director at IRD
In charge of SDG14, French Ministry of the Sea
UVSQ, Deputy Director of CEMOTEV
Research Fellow at the CNRS, IMRCP laboratory
Director of scientific expeditions, MNHN
Anthropologist
Research Director at IRD (HDR)
Deputy Scientific Director, IFREMER
Oceanographer, Mercator Océan
Senior Scientist at CNRS, CRIOBE
Partners
International recognition
Fondation de la Mer’s Ocean Framework has been approved as SDG Good Practices by UN experts.
The second open call for SDG good practices, success stories, and lessons learned in the implementation of 2030 Agenda enabled Fondation de la Mer to highlight an example of good practices, that could be adopted across the globe: the Ocean Framework, the heart of the OCEAN APPROVED® label.
The results are available here : United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development
BCG’s benchmark
Auditors
Other independent third-party bodies, in the process of accreditation.
The Label Governance Committee
Aude Sinet
« The OCEAN APPROVED® label is a guarantee of the company's commitment and will represent a strong differentiator for companies in our sector. »
Dominique Moniot
« Testing the labelling process via our Gulf of Lion floating offshore (EFGL) project was a real opportunity for Ocean Winds not only to identify, but also to challenge all the actions, innovations and parameters that we integrated into the project design to avoid and/or reduce the direct and indirect impacts of this project on the Gulf of Lion and the ocean in general. The pilot made it possible to validate that the label took into account all of our material impacts on the Ocean, and that it was adaptable for very specific and innovative activities such as ours. We will now study the possibility for the EFGL project to aim for the label as soon as it is in operation in 2023, as the label is demanding and distinguishing, and is aligned with Ocean Winds' values. »
Bruno Forest
« As a leading data centre operator in Europe and worldwide, Interxion was aware of its potential impacts on the Ocean early on and sought to reduce them. We have used the Ocean Framework to structure our commitment and take concrete action. The quality of the OCEAN APPROVED® label, whether in the application, audit, or certification process, or in the high level of requirements demanded in the audit grid, testifies to the seriousness and transparency of this initiative. It concretely supports our CSR commitments by integrating us in a process of continuous improvement towards Ocean conservation, based on concrete and reliable measurement indicators. »
