Photo credit: Richard Robinson
Live Ocean, a marine conservation foundation, has signed the Ocean for Climate Declaration, calling on governments, NGO’s, scientific institutions, companies, cities and financial institutions to scale up ocean-based climate solutions and action.
Signed by numerous members of the ocean community, signatories are imploring governments and other non-state actors to recognise the key role that a healthy ocean plays in reducing CO2 emissions and limiting global warming to 1.5°C and to scale up action in protecting the ocean, its ecosystems, species and resources.
The declaration highlights the ocean-based solutions available to mitigate and adapt to climate change and the key actions that public and private organizations should take to secure a healthy and productive ocean that contributes to a resilient, nature-positive and net-zero future. These include;
- Scaling-up action at the national level and include ocean-related measures in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs),
- Ensure a “just transition” to ocean-based climate solutions,
- Adopt ecosystem-based approaches to sustainably and equitably manage 100% of the global ocean, and implement strong conservation measures or protections,
- Strengthen ocean climate science,
- Increase the share of climate finance for ocean-based mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Becoming a signatory, Live Ocean joins a vast global community committed to delivering on the Race to Zero. “The connection between ocean and climate is clear, to have a healthy planet we must have a healthy ocean. Signing the Ocean for Climate declaration, Live Ocean is committing to taking positive ocean action contributing to halving global emissions by 2030, investing and publicly reporting on actions taken to protect and restore coastal and marine ecosystems, and sharing relevant scientific data to support an increase in ocean literacy”, said Sally Paterson, Live Ocean Foundation Chief Executive.
Other signatories include the National Geographic Society, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Rare, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, The Ocean Race, UN Environment Program Finance Initiative – Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative, United Nations Development Program, UN Global Compact, Waves of Change Coalition, World Economic Forum and WWF.
