Q&A: ‘We need to rely on the ocean for climate solutions’
Kilaparti Ramakrishna has spent years trying to put the ocean in climate discussions. He talks ahead of COP31 about how far things have come and what is next The post Q&A: ‘We need to rely on the ocean for climate solutions’ appeared first on Dialogue Earth .
The ocean has absorbed approximately 90% of the heat resulting from human reliance on fossil fuels. However, ocean concerns have often been overlooked at major climate conferences, known as the UN's COPs, according to Kilaparti Ramakrishna, director of the Centre for Marine Policy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States. Ramakrishna has been working to strengthen the connection between ocean science and global climate negotiations.
Ramakrishna played a role in crafting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, and served as a lead author on the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report. Speaking ahead of COP31 in Turkey, Ramakrishna stressed the critical importance of addressing ocean issues as part of broader climate action.
Despite annual meetings by world leaders, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Without reductions, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius becomes nearly impossible. To avoid catastrophic consequences, the ocean must be integrated into climate solutions, but any potential solutions must minimize negative environmental impacts.
At the recent COP30 in Brazil, efforts were made to address both climate change and ocean issues simultaneously, a trend that has been growing. The Paris Agreement from 2015 only briefly mentioned the ocean in the preamble, but recent developments have seen the appointment of ocean envoys for key regions like the Pacific Ocean and the entire world.
Countries' climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), should incorporate ocean-related measures to achieve emission reductions. This involves understanding the current carbon sequestration capacity of ecosystems like mangroves and kelp forests, and determining how these could expand under new climate commitments.
Additionally, the UN climate process must work in tandem with other ocean agreements and negotiations, such as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UNFCCC, the International Seabed Authority, and regional fisheries organizations. Decarbonizing marine shipping is another crucial aspect that requires a comprehensive strategy, as the various agreements cannot be addressed independently.
Written by urgent.news from Dialogue Earth's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
