Carbon to Sea and the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction, and Response Network (MEOPAR) are announcing a new partnership with Pokiok Associates, an Indigenous-owned company dedicated to empowering Indigenous leadership to thrive in the ocean sector. This partnership, led by Ken Paul, Principle/Owner of Pokiok Associates, aims to support increased leadership opportunities for Indigenous organizations and communities to lead and inform future project design of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) efforts in Canada. 

Pokiok Associates is an Indigenous-owned company supporting Indigenous leadership in a sustainable blue economy. The Indigenous team at Pokiok has practical work experience regionally, nationally, and internationally supporting First Nations and Indigenous leadership in rights-based approaches, fisheries operations, ocean led-science, and ocean tech advancement. Team members have been advocating for ethical Indigenous inclusion in the oCDR field for the past 3 years.

“Carbon to Sea is the world’s leading initiative exploring whether and how ocean carbon dioxide removal can be a viable climate solution,” said Ken Paul, Principle/Owner of Pokiok Associates. “After joining the first annual Carbon to Sea convening it became clear to me that the knowledge base and relationship that Indigenous communities have with our oceans must be included in shaping this significant initiative. I am pleased to be engaged to help guide this direction.” 

This partnership reflects Carbon to Sea and MEOPAR’s shared commitment to integrating Indigenous perspectives into Canada’s fast-growing oCDR field, and Pokiok Associates offers the expertise and relationships to advance Indigenous leadership in the ocean and environmental sectors through research, knowledge-sharing, and governance. 

“Carbon to Sea recognizes the immense value Indigenous communities bring to ocean-climate research, as the ancestral stewards of Canadian lands and waters,” said Miriam Zitner, Carbon to Sea’s General Manager, Canada. “We look forward to deepening our work with Ken Paul and Pokiok Associates as we seek to meaningfully partner with Indigenous communities and organizations to collaborate on a long term vision to repair our climate and restore the ocean’s health for future generations.”

Follow along on our blog and LinkedIn for future updates about our partnership with Pokiok Associates.