Climate change will have a major impact on the ocean, its ecosystems, maritime activities and coastal populations. Simultaneously, the ocean is a source of adaptation and mitigation solutions.
In light of this ambivalent observation, a strong international coordinated mobilization of State-actors, the scientific community and civil society arose around the ocean and climate thematic prior to COP21 and until the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP22. This mobilization resulted in:
- Mobilization of the international scientific community for knowledge on links between ocean and climate and the implementation of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Oceans ;
- Advocacy and launch of structuring initiatives in various regions across the global ocean on thematics in connection with ecosystems and maritime activities, widely supported by civil society actors gathered or mobilized by the Ocean & Climate Platform;
- Mobilization of States as part of the launch of “Because the Ocean”, to support a reinforced multilateral ocean-climate agenda (reference to Oceans in the Paris Agreement);
- Integration of the Ocean in the Global Climate Action Agenda (GCAA), part of the Paris Agreement with a day at COP22 dedicated to oceans and civil society awareness events.
Climate urgency requires ongoing mobilization of all, with an action-based approach regarding adaptation and mitigation, and broader knowledge to guide action.
Lauching a robust Ocean and Climate Initiatives Alliance (OCIA)
The Ocean & Climate initiatives Alliance in construction, supported by Unesco, and France together with the other Because the Ocean declaration signatories, should rely on a community of stakeholders convinced of the necessity of a collaboration, as part of structuring initiatives, to accelerate the implementation of mitigation and adaptation to climate change measures.
This collaborative dynamic should be inclusive, pragmatic and robust thanks to the scientific mobilization; and therefore produce actions and results with high impact on the field.
The Alliance should be part of the Global Climate Action Agenda (GCAA) process, as well as the partnership launched in Marrakesh and the proposed agenda for the Paris Agreement, hence contributing to the positive collective dynamic of climate negotiations.
The Alliance should be proactive in Ocean-related international and regional communities, in order to contribute to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
The First Ocean & Climate Initiatives Alliance Conference
On February 22nd 2017, the first conference gathered and initiated collaborations, in Paris, between Ocean and Climate initiatives covering 13 thematics. It associated States (Because the Ocean and other involved States) and organizations involved in ocean and climate thematic for a joint organization of initiatives and their promotion with the international climate community and sponsors.
The first OCIA conference was the opportunity for initiatives to meet, to present their ambition for 2017 and identify reflection and joint promotion orientations, prior to defining goals for 2017 and beyond.
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