Will COP23 turn the tide for oceans in climate action? | WPN World People News

As the Fijian COP Presidency prepares to launch the Ocean Pathway Partnership, WWF experts, including from Fiji, will discuss what the initiative could mean for oceans and climate action and the impact it can have on communities and marine life.

Oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe, and absorb 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide we produce. And yet, at present, only about 6 per cent of the world’s oceans are under some form of protection. With oceans warming and acidifying at an unprecedented rate, join the event to hear the panel speak on the important role oceans can play in climate adaptation and mitigation; how they can be part of the NDCs; and the opportunities healthy oceans, coral reefs and mangroves provide to improve the health, well-being and livelihoods of local coastal communities.

Alfred Ralifo, climate policy manager, WWF-Fiji said: “The ocean is our lifeline in Fiji. We depend on it for our food, lives and livelihoods and yet, today our biggest source of strength and resilience is itself under grave threat. On behalf of Fijians and coastal communities everywhere, we urge states to deliver on the promise of healthy oceans to ensure a healthy planet for all."

Sandeep Chamling Rai, Senior Advisor, Global Adaptation Policy, WWF said: “As climate change accelerates, we are eroding our planet’s best defense against climate change: the ocean. The greater the temperature rise, the more the ocean warms and threatens ecosystems that millions of people and marine species depend on. A strong Ocean Pathway Partnership will not only help build the resilience of oceans but also of the communities and marine life that rely on it."

Mariana Panuncio-Feldman, Senior Director, International Climate Cooperation, WWF-US said: “We have before us an enormous opportunity to address climate change by recognizing the global importance of oceans for our collective mitigation and adaptation efforts. The Ocean Pathway Partnership can help bring visibility to the critical role that oceans play in delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement and encourage the deliberate integration of oceans into countries’ NDCs. Doing so will benefit coastal communities around the world and help build a climate resilient future for us all.”

source: World Wildlife Fund