Allianz Global Investors has entered into a five year partnership with a charity that aims to clean up the world’s seas.
The partnership with The Sea Cleaners charity is aligned with Allianz GI’s sustainability goals and aims to improve global awareness of pollution issues affecting the world’s seas.
“Ocean plastic pollution is an ecological catastrophe,” said Yvan Bourgnon, president and founder of The Sea Cleaners.
In a statement, Bourgnon said the partnership with the German asset manager was a huge boost to the charity and he recognised the alignment of both organisations’ environmental beliefs.
“Innovation, international and long-term action, sustainable development, biodiversity protection, education: let’s put people back at the heart of important ecological challenges,” he said.
“We are proud to work on this exciting mission and to build together a story about saving the oceans with a partner like Allianz GI.”
Money from the partnership will partly fund the charity’s giant waste collection ship which is 70 metres long, 49 metres wide and 61 metres high. It is being built and will take to the seas in 2022.
“A shocking nine million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year – that’s about 300kg per second,” said Thorsten Heymann, global head of strategy at Allianz GI.
“As an active, long-term investor, with sustainable investing in our DNA, we want to play an active role in combatting the scourge of plastic pollution, a common cause we share with The Sea Cleaners. Together, we can help protect the oceans for future generations.”
