All forms of life on Earth depend on thriving oceans, which is why world leaders gathered in Palau on April 13-14 for the seventh Our Ocean Conference.
“Just as with climate action on land, progress on ocean protection ultimately depends on political will,” said Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., and Presidential Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, in a joint statement*. “It is worth reminding ourselves that, ultimately, we are all connected by the ocean.”
Co-hosted by Palau and the United States, the conference included over 600 representatives from governments, civil society, research institutions, and the private sector from around the globe. Topics included:
- Combating the climate crisis.
- Promoting sustainable fishing.
- Creating sustainable blue economies.
- Expanding protected marine areas.
- Ensuring safe and secure oceans.
- Efforts against marine pollution.
The participants announced over 400 new commitments to protect the oceans worth $16.35 billion. The commitments made across all seven editions of the Our Ocean Conference now total nearly $108.7 billion.
In Palau, the United States, Denmark, and the Marshall Islands announced they have doubled the number of signatories to the Declaration on Zero Emission Shipping by 2050.
The United States also announced a framework on green shipping corridors — maritime routes that feature low and zero-emission fuels and technologies, aiming for zero greenhouse gas emissions across all aspects of the corridors by 2050.
“Shipping would be the eighth largest emitter if it were a ‘country,’ and by 2050, sector emissions are expected to increase by up to 50% compared to 2018 levels in a business-as-usual scenario,” says an announcement** from the State Department.
Participants also committed serious new resources to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, with nearly $250 million pledged through policies, governance, fisheries assets, technical assistance, and innovative monitoring and traceability methods.
Among other notable commitments are:
- The United Kingdom increased its offshore wind deployment target to 50 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, with the ambition that 5GW will come from floating offshore wind.
- The European Union and the United Kingdom committed to donate over $130 million each to modernize fishing and aquaculture value chains.
- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization pledged $53 million to fund similar work in small island developing states.
- Australia announced $700 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Green Climate Fund announced an anchor commitment of up to $125 million to combat coral reef degradation.
- South Korea announced $100 million per year to combat plastic waste pollution.
The United States announced over a hundred commitments totaling more than $2.6 billion, including $160 million aimed at supporting coastal resilience through the National Coastal Resilience Fund.
“We still have time to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. We can still ensure a healthy ocean,” said Kerry during his closing speech**. “We can create millions of jobs and new trillion-dollar industries. And we can still achieve a cleaner, safer, and less polluted planet for all of us.”
Source: share.america.gov