THE OCEANS AND CLIMATE NEXUS -ADDRESSING MAJOR ISSUES of ROCA
Organiser
- Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF)
- Global Ocean Forum
- IUCN
- IOC-UNESCO
Event Overview
The oceans not only serve a large role in absorbing and stabilizing greenhouse gases emitted as a result of human activities, but also face large-scale impacts on their environments from climate change, including sea level rise, ocean warming, and ocean acidification. In addition, to ensure steady implementation of the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015, there is a need for each country to implement its NDCs, including efforts in ocean fields. To address these issues, the side event “THE OCEANS AND CLIMATE NEXUS” (Organizers: OPRI-SPF, Global Ocean Forum, and others) took place as part of the networked Oceans Action Day (GCA Event), focusing on the main issues raised in the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) initiative that is part of the Marrakech Partnership. Chaired by UNESCO-IOC Executive Secretary Vladimir Ryabinin, OPRI-SPF Senior Research Fellow Miko Maekawa, and others, the event included discussions focusing on the following topics: “1. How to mainstream the latest knowledge on ocean science in the UNFCCC process,” “2. Mitigation measures for the oceans and environmentally displaced persons,” and “3. Promotion of NDCs related to ocean fields.”
Speakers
- Atsushi Sunami, President, OPRI-SPF
- Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, IOC/UNESCO
- Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair, IPCC’s Working Group II
- Loreley Picourt, Head, Ocean and Climate Initiatives
- Kirsten Isensee, Programme Specialist, UNESCO-IOC
- Stephen Crooks, Co-Chair of Scientific Working Group, Blue Carbon Initiative
- Miko Maekawa, Senior Research Fellow, OPRI-SPF
- Peter Ricketts, President, Acadia University
- Espen Ronnenberg, Climate Change Adviser, SPREP
- Atle Solberg, Head of the Coodination Unit, Platform on Disaster Displacement
- Dina Ionesco, Head of MECC Division, International Organization for Migration
- Tamara Thomas, Oceans Policy Advisor, The Nature Conservancy
- Rémi Parmentier, Director, Varda Group
- Eduardo Silva, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
- Anders Jessen, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
- Jonathan Taylor, Vice President, European Investment Bank
- Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum
- Torsten Thiele, Senior Research Associate, Global Ocean Trust
- Georg Børsting, Policy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Event Materials
Event Summary
- The difference between a 1.5°C and a 2°C increase will have clear consequences, such as more frequent climate extremes and an erosion of livelihoods. There is still a need to close knowledge gaps related to the ocean and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- The UN General Assembly proclaimed the Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). There is a need to increase public understanding and engage local communities to translate scientific knowledge into policy actions to protect ocean resources.
- 18.8 million people were displaced in 2018 due to changes in the environment, noting that displacement is about adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and finance and capacity development. Displacement is becoming a growing concern in the oceans-climate nexus, and requires better partnerships and accelerated actions.
- To start including blue carbon ecosystems in their national inventories and management strategies is encouraged.
- Chile is integrating ocean actions into the country’s NDC, including the role of the ocean as a carbon sink.
- Innovative blue economy initiatives can drive collaborations between the public and private sectors.
Message
For more information on this even, please see the following website.
https://www.spf.org/en/_opri/news/20181222.html
