Download Report on oceans

REPORT
OCEANS
From the facilitators to the Champions
I.
Initiatives
The Africa Package for Climate-Resilient Ocean Economies was announced by the
World Bank Group, African Development Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization
in response to the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate
Change (Mauritius, September 2016). This Conference recognized the challenges faced
by coastal and marine systems in Africa and the need to develop climate-ready ocean
economies. This ambitious package of technical and financial assistance focuses on
measures to build resilience, reduce vulnerability, develop early-warning systems and
optimize carbon sequestration, including through NDC implementation. The initiative will
mobilize USD 3.5 billion and implement programs linked to climate change adaptation and
mitigation over the period 2017-2020, as part of the Blue Growth Initiative.
The Blue Belt Initiative was developed by the Kingdom of Morocco and aims at building
the resilience of coastal communities and promotes sustainable fisheries and aquaculture,
in line with SDG14 requirements. The initiative includes three main lines of action on
integrated coastal monitoring systems, sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture,
throughout the value chain, and is supported by a partnership with FAO, AfDB, IRD
(France), Platform Ocean Climat, and many others. A priority roadmap providing solutions
for adaptation and mitigation will be set up through a collaborative platform to better
integrate the fisheries sector into smart climate actions, as part of National Determined
Contributions (NDCs). The initiative will be supported in the Moroccan area by an
investment plan and capacity building program for a total amount of USD 150m over the
period 2017-2020, in the framework of the FAO/AfDB/WB Africa Package for ClimateResilient Ocean Economies.
The Strategic Action Roadmap on Oceans and Climate: 2016 to 2021 was released to
provide a vision for action regarding oceans and climate in the next five years, addressing
six ocean and climate issue areas: the central role of oceans in regulating climate,
mitigation, adaptation, displacement, financing, and capacity development. This significant
initiative was started at COP 21 and announced at COP 22 and presents a 5 year plan for
action on oceans and climate within and outside the UNFCCC.
4. The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) is a collaborative
network of research institutions that seeks to provide a clearer understanding of regional
and global ocean acidification processes to inform policy. It encourages the development
of cooperation and decision-support tools to detect the responses of the marine
environment to the changes expected by the end of the century by strengthening the Global
Ocean Observing System, under the auspice of IOC/UNESCO, and the measurements of
its Essential Ocean Variables. It emphasizes the need to support the development of
scientific capacity of developing nations, especially small island developing States (SIDS)
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and least developed countries (LDCs), in the field of ocean based adaption and mitigation,
through relevant transfer of marine technology.
5. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Partnership Framework was as a follow
up to the adoption of the Samoa pathway in 2014. Its purpose is to assist SIDS in achieving
the implementation of pledges and commitments of the sustainable development agenda
through partnerships. A first global multi-stakeholder dialogue was held in September 2016
and was the occasion to launch new partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS.
II.
Policies
The Oceans Action Event at COP22 brought together over 400 high-level participants
(Parties and Observer organizations) from all regions of the world to advance consideration
of the oceans and climate issues within the UNFCCC.
Participants expressed deep appreciation to UNFCCC Parties for ensuring the reference
to ocean ecosystems in the Paris Agreement, and to the UNFCCC and the IPCC for their
decisions to commission two special reports on “Climate change and oceans and the
cryosphere” and on “Impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C”. The results of these reports are
of critical importance for the wellbeing of populations in 183 coastal and island nations and
for the health of the oceans.
The Oceans Action Event at COP 22 reiterated the need for ethics, collective action and
solidarity in coping with the impacts of climate change on coastal communities. The event
also recalled the high effectiveness of carbon sequestration in marine ecosystems
compared to terrestrial ones, making the health of marine ecosystems an essential
requirement for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
In developing adaptation and mitigation frameworks, the event noted the diversity and interrelated nature of climate change impacts on oceans and seas, and thus on the services
they provide. Acknowledging that impacts are not homogeneous across regions, sectors,
and dependent communities, the event emphasized the need to find appropriate solutions
that take into account the variety of scales of action to address climate change, with
particular attention to developing countries and small island developing States.
The multi-stakeholder dialogue during Oceans Action Event at COP 22 underscored policy
options to foster resilience of ocean and coastal ecosystems, restore biodiversity,
implement mitigation measures and support adaptation of ocean-dependent communities,
their livelihoods and economies, for immediate uptake from policy makers:
Mitigation

Conserve and enhance coastal ecosystems’ function as major carbon sinks and account
for these ecosystems in the NDCs;

Integrate Blue Carbon into global climate action activities to potentialize policies and
financing;

Further accelerate progress in addressing greenhouse gas emissions from ships in
collaboration with IMO and other international organizations and with the involvement of
the shipping industry;
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
Give due consideration to market-based solutions and foster clean energy investments by
appropriate policies and encouragements to markets;

Develop ocean-based renewable energy and accelerate efforts to implement these
through integrated marine planning and enhanced regulatory frameworks.
Adaptation

Develop integrated, place-based, cross-sectoral adaptation programmes through coastal,
ocean and resource management institutions, in close cooperation with disaster risk
agencies and affected sectors and communities;

Apply ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation, including green infrastructure to
address coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, storms, and flooding, consistent with national,
regional and global policy guidelines;

Include climate change projections in the design of natural resources management plans
(including the design of protected areas) and environmental impact assessments;

Promote and apply Blue Economy/Blue Growth approaches with emphasis on low-carbon
solutions and economic benefits to developing countries and SIDS, following SDG target
14 principles and objectives;

Develop and support legal, political and financial measures to address the issues
associated with the displacement of coastal and island populations as a result of direct
and indirect impacts of climate change.
Financing

Earmark funds in global public finance mechanisms to support integrated and crosssectoral adaptation and mitigation measures for dependent communities in most affected
coastal regions and SIDS countries;

Allocate sufficient funding to allow integrated institutional, market and livelihood
development options in coastal and SIDS countries;

Support the development of adaptive management programmes, early warning systems,
disaster risk reduction measures, and sound policies on climate insurance programmes.
Capacity development

Provide appropriate technical and financial assistance to SIDS, developing countries and
economies in transition to build capacity in management and policy areas related to
oceans and climate, and for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation measures;

Allocate appropriate investments in ocean and marine sciences to improve the knowledge
base on the interactions between oceans and climate, and on the effects on climate
change on ecosystem services, including the role of marine ecosystems as carbon sinks,
and the impacts of change on dependent communities;

Strengthen the advancement of global marine observations and research and enhance
technical capacity development of vulnerable countries;
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III.

Support the continued development of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network
(SDG 14.3) and address the impacts of ocean acidification;

Develop knowledge management mechanisms to share knowledge, lessons learned and
best practices among all countries, giving due consideration to local knowledge;

Ensure the full involvement of youth in the capacity building programs.
Short Term Objective 2017- COP 23
By 2017 (COP 23): significant funds are mobilized and disbursed for the integrated
implementation of announced initiatives; ensure countries involved have developed action
plans for their respective adaptation and mitigation programs with due consideration to the
NDCs and in consultation with involved partners and stakeholders; measures particularly
focused on vulnerable regions and dependent communities are adopted; outcomes of
these initiatives will be linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, to be reported
on in 2017.
IV.
Mid-term Objective 2020
By 2020 - COP 26: capacity of countries involved in the announced initiatives has been
strengthened; countries have successfully incorporated integrated adaptation and
mitigation measures related to oceans and coastal and island populations into the NDCs;
appropriate planning, monitoring and reporting initiatives identified and implemented; SIDS
and coastal countries are part of appropriate funding mechanisms from the global climate
finance institutions, and their concerns are incorporated in the newly established UNFCCC
Committee on Capacity Building.
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