The ocean at COP24
By: Anna McGinn
Last year, 2017, is regarded as a watershed year for the ocean under the UNFCCC process. Historically, the UNFCCC has not focused on the ocean even though it is a vast carbon sink, a major area for high emissions (i.e., international shipping), and ground zero for climate impacts (i.e., sea level rise, storm surge, salt water intrusion, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and the list goes on).
In 2017, the Fiji government used their positioning as the Presidency of COP23 and the co-chair of the first UN Ocean Conference on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14) to change the story.
Ocean-related presentations, high-level events, and hallway conversations abounded in Bonn at COP23. If nothing else, the Fijian Presidency successfully brought the issue from the periphery to the center of attention. But, one of the major questions leaving COP23 was if the increased attention on the ocean, which culminated in the launch of the Ocean Pathway Partnership, would be sustained at future COPs or not.
So, what are we seeing at COP24?
Over the past few days, I have attended three ocean-related events (and there are many more), and the feeling is that this COP is a lull in Presidency-led ambition on the ocean, but in the hallways, the momentum is not lost.
At the Pacific pavilion, the conversation revolved around next steps for the Ocean Pathway Partnership. The major question: should Pacific countries push for an official, permanent UNFCCC agenda item for the ocean? Would this be the most productive way to keep focused attention on the ocean or would it be detrimental because you through the issue into the battle grounds of negotiating text? This question was not, in any way, resolved through the dialogue.
Another event, hosted by UN-Ocean provided a small, but exciting update on collaboration between the ocean and climate agendas. UN-Ocean is a UN interagency group that brings together agencies that have work relevant to the ocean. Agencies include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) just to name a few. The update is that the UNFCCC joined UN-Ocean in just the past few months. It seemed like a massive gap that the UNFCCC was not previously affiliated with the group. It is likely a testament to the COP23 Fijian Presidency that opportunities such as this are finally being acted upon by the UNFCCC.
The other major conversation taking place on the ocean is about the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere which is anticipated to be finished in 2019. Countries with particular focus on the ocean, such as Fiji, Sweden, and Chile, are currently trying to figure out a strategy to ensure that the report gets the attention and appreciation they feel it will deserve (see Will’s post to learn more about why this is of particular interest at this COP). More importantly, they are trying to figure out how this strategy can lead to further mitigation and adaptation actions related to the ocean.
While it is not clear who will host the COP next year, many of the countries who have put their name on the table are “ocean friendly” countries according to speakers at the Pacific Pavilion, so there are high hopes that at COP25, the ocean will be high on the agenda again.
Last year, 2017, is regarded as a watershed year for the ocean under the UNFCCC process. Historically, the UNFCCC has not focused on the ocean even though it is a vast carbon sink, a major area for high emissions (i.e., international shipping), and ground zero for climate impacts (i.e., sea level rise, storm surge, salt water intrusion, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and the list goes on).
In 2017, the Fiji government used their positioning as the Presidency of COP23 and the co-chair of the first UN Ocean Conference on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14) to change the story.
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| Visit to the coast of Samoa, one of the countries heavily involved in connecting ocean work under the SDGs and the UNFCCC |
So, what are we seeing at COP24?
Over the past few days, I have attended three ocean-related events (and there are many more), and the feeling is that this COP is a lull in Presidency-led ambition on the ocean, but in the hallways, the momentum is not lost.
At the Pacific pavilion, the conversation revolved around next steps for the Ocean Pathway Partnership. The major question: should Pacific countries push for an official, permanent UNFCCC agenda item for the ocean? Would this be the most productive way to keep focused attention on the ocean or would it be detrimental because you through the issue into the battle grounds of negotiating text? This question was not, in any way, resolved through the dialogue.
Another event, hosted by UN-Ocean provided a small, but exciting update on collaboration between the ocean and climate agendas. UN-Ocean is a UN interagency group that brings together agencies that have work relevant to the ocean. Agencies include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) just to name a few. The update is that the UNFCCC joined UN-Ocean in just the past few months. It seemed like a massive gap that the UNFCCC was not previously affiliated with the group. It is likely a testament to the COP23 Fijian Presidency that opportunities such as this are finally being acted upon by the UNFCCC.
The other major conversation taking place on the ocean is about the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere which is anticipated to be finished in 2019. Countries with particular focus on the ocean, such as Fiji, Sweden, and Chile, are currently trying to figure out a strategy to ensure that the report gets the attention and appreciation they feel it will deserve (see Will’s post to learn more about why this is of particular interest at this COP). More importantly, they are trying to figure out how this strategy can lead to further mitigation and adaptation actions related to the ocean.
While it is not clear who will host the COP next year, many of the countries who have put their name on the table are “ocean friendly” countries according to speakers at the Pacific Pavilion, so there are high hopes that at COP25, the ocean will be high on the agenda again.
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