The COP26 for Climate begins today, and the world’s attention revolves around what is yet to happen in Glasgow, where decisive negotiations for the future of humanity will be held over 12 days. After two years of consecutive postponements due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this COP is highly awaited by the international community, as States must announce their new national action plans to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This COP must also reach an agreement on the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement (The ‘Paris Rulebook’) and on the financial resources allocated to implement them, since States did not get to an agreement in the last editions. The stakes are high, sadly highlighted by the records emanating from 2020, which witnessed an unprecedented number of extreme events as well as increased CO2 concentrations.
The state of the ocean is also critical, its ability to regulate the climate being likely to decline as anthropogenic impacts increase. However, the ocean is the subject of unprecedented interest from States and civil society. For the first time, voices are uniting around the tremendous potential of the ocean and the solutions it offers to fight climate change.
Protection of marine and coastal ecosystems gaining recognition in climate strategies
As highlighted by the IPCC and IPBES experts in their joint report of June 2021, protecting marine and coastal ecosystems is an effective action to mitigate the effects of climate change, while promoting adaptation and the well-being of populations. The ocean as a solution to achieve the Paris Agreement’s objectives: an idea that is working its way towards States, as revealed by the Ocean & Climate Platform in its analysis “Marine and coastal nature-based solutions in Nationally Determined Contributions“ published today. By analysing 113 contributions (NDCs) published as part of the first review cycle (Article 4.3 of the Paris Agreement), this report highlights the growing integration of nature-based solutions hailing from the ocean into the climate strategies of the States Parties of the Climate Convention, with 67 countries taking them into account in 2021 compared to 51 in 2015. This progress in the implementation of ocean-strategies reflects a greater ambition for the ocean, its biodiversity and the people who depend on it.
Civil society’s call to accelerate ocean solutions
Although the major role played by the ocean is now increasingly understood by policy makers, the task of preserving its integrity and limiting global warming to below 1.5°C remains daunting. In order to achieve this goal, the drastic reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions is an absolute priority, but the ocean also has its role to play and is an essential asset in achieving a carbon-neutral future.
It is around this message that the ocean community and Climate Champions have come together, signing the ‘Ocean for Climate’ declaration. Supported by more than 100 civil society organisations (scientists, NGOs, businesses, international organisations, etc.), this declaration calls on governments to accelerate the deployment of ocean-based solutions to halve our emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In light of this, the transformation of maritime industries towards low-carbon models, combined with the preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems (including those that sequester large amounts of CO2 such as mangroves, seagrass beds and salt marshes) as well as the integrated management of ocean space are cornerstones for achieving a resilient future for nature and people. The declaration also calls for the mobilisation of the financial sector to support science and fund the development of these blue solutions as a prerequisite for moving to action for a restored ocean.
COP26 starts today and in the face of the current urgency, all efforts must converge towards the deployment of solutions to preserve the future of our blue planet and those who live on it. In this context, a healthy ocean offers many answers to mitigate the consequences of climate change and to engage our societies towards a sustainable and respectful transition. It is with this message in mind that the Ocean & Climate Platform, alongside its members and the entire ocean community, will be present in Glasgow and more mobilised than ever to make this COP “a historic turning point” for humanity.
Anaïs Deprez