ABOUT
The 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), taking place from 6-18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, is an opportunity to catalyze ocean climate action up the political agenda and raise public awareness that we cannot tackle the climate emergency, without putting ocean protection at the heart of climate solutions.
ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT
The content and information within this toolkit is designed to demonstrate public support for ocean climate action.
CONTEXT
Recognition built since The Paris Agreement that ocean and climate are inseparable issues culminated in The Glasgow Climate Pact inviting UNFCCC workstreams and constituted bodies to consider how to integrate and strengthen ocean-based action. Critically the Pact set up an annual Ocean and Climate Dialogue to strengthen ocean-based action on climate change. The first of which took place in June 2022.
Thousands of the world’s leading scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) overwhelmingly conclude that if we don’t take immediate action to tackle the nature and climate crises together and reduce CO2 emissions, there will be disastrous and irreversible impacts on ocean life that threaten our own existence. A portfolio of ocean-climate solutions are scientifically proven to help address climate change, they are grossly underfunded, and yet central to adaptation, resilience and sustainable development.
COP27, this November, is an opportunity to build on the progress made for the ocean at COP26 in 2021.
The OneOcean Flotilla can raise its collective voice again to get the COP27 delegates to #ListenToTheOcean and reflect its critical role in their decisions.
Call on decision makers to:
- Scale up ocean based climate solutions
- Invest in the ocean
- Show support for strengthened ocean-climate action across international policy processes
Please use this Toolkit throughout the UN Climate Conference to support the amplification of the COP27 Nature Positive campaign messaging calling on world leaders and decision makers to immediately halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.
The Nature Positive by 2030 goal for nature is designed to support high ambition in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Post2020 framework process, and inspire governments, business and society to take urgent action on biodiversity loss for the benefit of all peoples.
Nature Positive by 2030 also seeks to create the opportunity for links between biodiversity and other conventions and agreements such as those on climate, ocean and land degradation.
We cannot tackle the climate emergency, without putting ocean protection at the heart of climate solutions.
3 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
1. AMPLIFY
Use this toolkit to send a clear message to world leaders at COP27 that they must take the ocean seriously if we are to solve the climate crisis.
2. USE IMPACTFUL OCEAN VISUALS
The Ocean Visuals open call for photography, held in September, has created a new evidence-based collection of impactful and truly diverse ocean and coastal climate imagery. The collection is now freely available to the media, non-profits, campaigners and educators. Visit climatevisuals.org for more information.
3. STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE COP27 OCEAN EVENTS TRACKER
To stay up to date on all ocean-related events at COP27, please check out the Ocean Events Tracker being hosted by the Virtual Ocean Pavilion on their website here. All you need to do is create an account and you will be able to see the full schedule of ocean events.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
The #COP27 #ListenToTheOcean campaign messaging will be shared from the OneOcean social media channels – please like, comment and share content.
Follow @OceanFlotilla on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
And remember to tag us in your posts - @OceanFlotilla – and use the campaign hashtags: #ListenToTheOcean #OneOceanOnePlanet #BlueNature
COP27 HASHTAGS
#COP27 #TogetherForImplementation
#OceanClimate #OceanAction
#NetZero #NaturePositive #ForNature #ForBlueNature
HANDLES
COP27
- Twitter: @COP27P
- Instagram: @cop27_egypt
- Facebook: COP27
- LinkedIn: COP27
UN Climate Change
- Twitter - @UNFCCC
- Twitter - Simon Stiell Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change - @simonstiell
- Instagram - @unclimatechange
- TikTok - @unclimatechange
TAGGING
Please tag the following accounts in your social posts:
SAMPLE POSTS
Please adapt language to fit Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media platform you prefer. The primary hashtags are #COP27, #ListenToTheOcean, #OneOceanOnePlanet
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KEY MESSAGES
Topline Message
A portfolio of ocean-climate solutions are scientifically proven to help address climate change, they are grossly underfunded, and yet central to adaptation, resilience and sustainable development.
1. There is no future without a healthy Ocean.
A healthy and biodiverse ocean regulates climate, buffers our shorelines, provides abundant and nutritious food, ensures wellbeing, preserves cultural heritage, and supports sustainable livelihoods of billions of people. To protect the benefits the ocean and coastal zones provide, the world must meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C, and ocean solutions can play a significant role.
2. The portfolio of ocean-climate solutions are scientifically proven to help address climate change.
As much as 20% of the carbon mitigation necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change can come from ocean-climate solutions. We must accelerate the development and implementation of science-based, climate-smart and nature-positive solutions - such marine renewable energy, decarbonised shipping, climate-ready fisheries, and coastal and marine nature-based solutions - while building social trust and raising investor confidence.
3. Ocean-climate solutions central to adaptation, resilience and sustainable development.
The IPCC AR6 clearly identifies the ocean, coastal and marine ecosystems, as a source of solutions contributing to climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Achieving a resilient future calls for urgent strengthening of adaptation responses globally that are effective, equitable and capable of reducing risks for both societies and ecosystems. Developing sustainable blue economies can deliver on job creation, food and energy security, and overall well-being.
4. Ocean-climate solutions are dramatically underfunded
Finance flows to advance ocean-climate solutions must substantially increase. With SDG 14 “Life Below Water” being the least funded of all the SDGs, investing in sustainable and equitable blue growth is paramount. Access to different types of financial resources must be strengthened and made available to coastal States - including through UNFCCC financial mechanisms, by involving the private sector and by building local economic capacities.
FACTS
- Covering 71% of our Planet, Ocean ecosystems are regulating the global climate by absorbing 30% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and 93% of the excess heat emitted annually into the atmosphere.
- Marine species and ecosystems are great allies in tackling the climate crisis. Mangrove forests capture and store carbon dioxide at a greater rate than most tropical rainforests, while marine organisms are responsible for trapping and storing carbon.
- Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean, home to 1 in 4 marine species and relied on by more than 600 million people for food and livelihoods. Without reefs and linked blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves and seagrasses, flooding on land would increase by 69%.
- Ocean-based climate solutions could help to reduce the emissions gap by up to 21% on a 1.5°C pathway by 2050.
- With the growth in demand for blue foods set to roughly double by 2050, sustainable management of ocean resources is crucial to ensure food security for millions, as well as the ability of coastal communities to adapt to climate change.
- A tenth of the world’s population and physical assets are either living in or located at less than 10 meters above sea level, coastal communities and their economic assets are disproportionately affected by sea-level rise, and other climate-compounding climate- and ocean-driven impacts
RESOURCES
Add the Toolkit to your bookmarks as more content, resources and call to action will be added throughout the duration of the UN Climate Conference.
the Ocean Events Tracker is hosted by the Virtual Ocean Pavilion. All you need to do is create an account and you will be able to see the full schedule of ocean events.
Credits:
Photo Credits: Ocean Image Bank - Warren Baverst, Renata Romeo, Lewis Burnett, Matt Curnock, Cinzia Osele Bismarck,