Recap: Biodiversity and Ocean Health at COP28

As both a victim of climate change and a source of solutions, oceans have now found a permanent home in the UNFCCC COP agenda. Oceans absorb almost half of the CO2 emissions and protect the world from what would otherwise be much greater temperature increases, but they are also heating themselves. This year's COP looked at oceans from many different perspectives, but they all stressed the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

UN Oceans hosted a panel about climate-smart ocean management and encouraging synergies at all levels for ocean-based mitigation and adaptation. There is an increasing recognition, not just of the impact of climate change on the ocean, but also that the ocean is a place where urgent climate action is needed and can provide significant positive potential. As reported in the 2023 nationally determined contributions (NDC) synthesis document, new or updated NDCs reflected a significantly increased recognition of the ocean's role in strengthening climate action. SDG14 is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The adverse effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine biodiversity include rising sea water temperature, ocean deoxygenation, sea level rise and ocean acidification. The importance of preserving the ocean as a carbon sink must also be emphasized. The ocean is a common asset that must benefit all equally.

COP21 in Paris was the first time oceans became a topic at COP and also led to oceans being a part of the Paris Agreement. Currently, the United Nations has no serious framework for addressing sea level rise. Changes in biodiversity, changes in the distribution of species including fish and fisheries, have huge impacts on people with respect to food security and livelihoods. The coral reef ecosystems in the oceans are the most vulnerable, where the difference between 1.5° and 2° is the difference between borderline survival and destruction. Protecting these ecosystems that protect us will help us adapt to climate change; the entire Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is applicable to oceans.

For many small island developing states (SIDS), oceans are also a source of food and of income through tourism. Ocean health cannot be viewed separately from economic health, being essential to the survival and development of the nation. It is important to develop the blue economy, to not exploit the ocean, because it is full of potential and so many lives depend on it.

With respect to food security, in terms of conversion efficiency, which is how much feed is needed to produce 1kg of food, fisheries require no feed due to being based on wild resources, and aquaculture requires the least amount of feed when compared to other sources of meat. Aquaculture and fisheries also produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than other meats, on par with eggs and milk. Fishing has a profound impact on ocean biodiversity, underlining the importance of distinguishing between over-fishing and responsible aquaculture. Fish must be managed in a way that recognizes and respects the entire ecosystem; this includes caring for the oceans themselves by decarbonizing the entire production chain, such as fishing vessels and aquaculture practices.

UNESCO gave a press conference with a different and quite fascinating approach to oceans with a presentation on the relationship between underwater and coastal cultural heritage and climate change. There have been many coastal constructions that have gone underwater and are being destroyed by the rising waves due to climate change. There are also sites that are in the sedimentation of the coast or in the ocean being eaten away, not only by rising sea levels, but also by the warming of the water and storm impacts which have been increasing. There are very important cultural sites, such as Venice, which are going underwater. A lot of information can be gathered from underwater heritage sites on climate change. The example was given of Cosquer Cave, whose entrance is 36m under the ocean. The cave walls are covered with human-made paintings, indicating that, at one time, humans entered and dwelled within while on land. Sea level rise, not only today but also in the past, is extremely relevant for future strategies.

There are many lessons to be learned about climate change from these heritage sites of ancient civilizations, but climate change is also destroying these sites. Alexandria and Abu Dhabi are both in danger of sinking, as is the original home of Christopher Columbus in La Isabela. Rather than nature-based solutions, UNESCO spoke of heritage-based solutions and culture-based solutions - equally important, equally and dramatically affected by climate change. This is the COP of Loss and Damage, and this would be loss and damage to our knowledge of our prehistoric, historic and present times. This would not only be a loss of memories, but also of lessons learned.

A new convention was also unveiled, called the United Nations Convention on Conserving River Deltas (UNCCRD). As another consequence of rising sea levels and ocean surges, not only heritage sites but existing coastal communities are being submerged. Considerable retreat and erosion of shorelines have been noted in the last decade and it comes as no surprise that the threats of forced migration, food insecurity, conflict, cultural loss and loss of livelihood would result.

The deltas of Nigeria off the Gulf of Guinea, the Mekong River in Vietnam and the Indus River shared by Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and India are all facing challenges with pollution, flooding, land erosion, impact on aquatic ecosystems and loss of lives. This, in turn, impacts water sanitation and green water use, municipal water withdrawal, industrial water withdrawal, fresh water ecosystems, agricultural irrigation and energy production. Fast growing populations also amplify climate change vulnerabilities

The UNCCRD seeks mitigation, adaptation and NDC funds. Global water quality standards need to be implemented and there has to be inter-delta sharing of knowledge and resources. Early warning systems also have to be in place, while science and research programs need funding. Support programs and migration plans for vulnerable populations should also be established. Public and private partnerships, along with transboundary cooperation, will help to achieve SDG goals. In the end, delta erosion and degradation does not only affect a single country; effects of climate change on ocean health and ecosystems do not respect country borders.

When speaking of oceans, five key sectors need to be at the focus of climate action: marine conservation, shipping, ocean renewable energy, aquatic food, and coastal tourism. A session on breakthroughs in ocean planning sought to design blueprints for these five sectors and invited experts from each to join. Enric Sala of National Geographic's Pristine Seas said, "we are treating the ocean as a toilet, we are making it warmer and more acidic, and the ocean cannot absorb our impacts anymore." Thus far, the blue economy has been based on extraction and destruction; more resources have been removed than have been replenished. Restoring marine life is easy to achieve, because when areas are protected, marine life bounces back quickly and abundantly. However, humanity has shown that it values stripping the sea floor of minerals than it does protecting aquatic ecosystems.

Replenishing fishing grounds sustains jobs and livelihoods in the fishing and tourism industries. For every dollar invested in ocean protection, for every dollar invested in marine reserves that dollar generates $10 in economic output. The more life that is in the ocean, the more carbon the ocean captures. It has been shown that people living near marine reserves are also healthier. Since 2008, National Geographic has been working with local communities, Indigenous peoples and governments to create 27 of the largest marine reserves in the world, covering the size of the Amazon region. This is on its way to meeting the 30x30 goal agreed upon at the CBD COP15, but there is still much to do.

Ivory Vogt of Sustainable Travel International, looking at sustainability through a completely different lens, spoke of equity and how the tourism sector has forced displacement on many Pacific Islanders. "In Palau we actually have a saying [...] that means that the sea crabs have pushed out the land crabs and it's there to signify how foreign investments have pushed out local land titles for local people." The privatization of land for tourists is an existential crisis to so many Islanders and represents a loss of thousands of years of culture and history due to tourism developments. There has been an increase in migration of local people in island and coastal areas due to the intergenerational disposition of land.

Norwegian Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim spoke of her concern for food security globally. More food and marine protein need to be produced from fisheries and from increased agriculture production, but this must be done sustainably. A larger share of the global diet coming from the ocean will reduce the climate footprint of the global food system. The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (The Ocean Panel), is a panel of 18 world leaders, representing 50% of the world's coastlines, working towards building a sustainable global blue economy. All members of the panel are committed to sustainably manage 100% of the ocean areas under their jurisdiction, guided by sustainable ocean plans.

Richard Spinrad of NOAA discussed the shipping sectors. Launched at COP27, the Green Shipping Challenge marked a monumental step in the maritime industries transition toward achieving zero emissions. This year, the challenge culminated in 3 billion dollars in investments aimed directly at decarbonizing the maritime sector and more than eight new green corridors designed to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the broader goal of decarbonizing the sector by 2050.

Whether through the lens of biodiversity, food insecurity, carbon sinks, blue economy, or heritage, oceans and water undoutedly play a pivotal role in climate adaptation and mitigation. It is not surprising that discussions on oceans took so many different forms at COP28. Aquatic ecosystems and aquaculture must remain at the forefront of all climate adaptation plans and ocean communities cannot act alone. Earth's oceans are commons; it is the responsibility of everyone to care for them and ensure their survival.