An intervention by Teresa Ribera at a round table organized by the Bertarelli Foundation and Le Monde Diplomatique at the Auditorium du Monde, on the sidelines of the conference "Our Common Future", which takes place at Unesco Headquarters from 7 to 10 July 2015.
Overview
Theme Introduction
The world’s oceans are in a state of decline. Climate change is already having a profound impact on ocean ecosystems. Increased ocean temperatures, sea level rise, altered weather patterns, changes in ocean currents, melting sea ice, and the effects of ocean acidification are upon us. These impacts are being exacerbated by man-made stresses such as overfishing, habitat loss and land-based sources of pollution. It is a big year for the oceans. 2015 saw an agreement to develop a new ocean treaty to protect the high seas (via an implementing agreement under UNCLOS), the potential announcement of an ocean SDG, expected announcements of new, bigger-than-ever marine protected areas, and the upcoming climate CoP in Paris at the end of the year. The Paris Our Common Future under Climate Change conference in July, the largest gathering of climate scientists prior to the Paris CoP, features a major session on the state of the oceans under climate change on its first day (June 7th), emphasizing the new level of recognition given to ocean issues in the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Discussion Outline
In light of the massive decline in ocean health, and given the trajectory of carbon emissions is not expected to head downwards any time soon, what solutions in the "adaptation space" can be mapped out ?
We propose to invite a panel of experts to discuss different scenarios, including :
- What are the climate "hot spots" in our global ocean ?
- How has ocean climate science evolved ?
- The role of technology in both mapping impacts, and offering solutions
- How best to address the contributing issues – overfishing and habitat destruction ?
- The need for improved governance
- The increasing movement to establish Marine Protected Areas, and how to police them
