|
THURSDAY
21 NOVEMBER
Driving
the day
On Oceans
and Coastal Zones Day, recognition of the
potential of ocean-based solutions within national
climate strategies is increasing. Finance is
starting to flow in the right direction - but at a
far slower rate than the accelerating loss of
marine biodiversity.
In
response, the Ocean Breakthroughs provide a
holistic, science-based playbook for ocean-based
climate action that could reduce the ‘emissions
gap’ by up to
35% on a 1.5°C pathway in 2050.
Money
moving to coral reefs since COP 28:
● USD
225 million was mobilized for the Coral Reef
Breakthrough by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs
(GFCR), to
provide catalytic support to over 60 reef-positive
businesses and financing facilities.
● GFCR
Equity Fund has newly announced an investment of
up to $50 million in
Brazil-based innovator Agrion Agrisolutions to
address key agricultural threats facing the local
coastal reefs ecosystems.
● Race
to Resilience partner, The Ocean
Risk Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) has
activated USD 45.5 million of investment into
innovative finance and insurance solutions from
over 100 members. ORRAA’s investments in 50
projects for climate-vulnerable coastal
communities in the Global South, have helped over
174,000 people become more resilient to ocean and
coastal risk, including 78,000 women.
● At
the UN Global Biodiversity Conference (COP 16),
New Zealand committed an
additional USD 10 million for the Global Fund for
Coral Reefs.
Coastal
and marine nature solutions bolstering
NDCs:
Recognition
of ocean-based solutions in global policy has been
steadily increasing, as of 2023, 61 countries
had included coastal and marine nature-based
solutions for mitigation and adaptation in their
NDCs.
COP 28
drove significant recognition of the potential to
link climate and biodiversity action to boost
economic opportunities and human and planetary
health, while reducing adaptation costs. Today,
H.E. Razan Al Mubarak is seeking to inspire global
actors to integrate biodiversity, climate action,
and nature-based solutions in all sectors of
society.
The
size of the Ocean prize: A third of the way to 1.5
C:
Full
implementation of ocean-based solutions - ready
for action now - could reduce the ‘emissions gap’
by up to 35% on a 1.5°C pathway in
2050.
Launched
at COP 28, 2023, the Ocean
Breakthroughs are
transformative pathways covering five key ocean
sectors - marine conservation, shipping, aquatic
food, ocean renewable energy and coastal tourism.
Signatories to the Breakthroughs set science-based
targets to advance mitigation, adaptation, and
collaboration between Parties and non-State
actors.
Completing
the Ocean Breakthroughs - transforming coastal
tourism by 2030:
The
2030
Coastal Tourism Breakthrough launches
today. By 2030, USD 30bn per year is being
invested to support halving emissions of coastal
tourism; and additional investments are made to
build the resilience of local communities, as well
as to recover and protect ecosystems to
sustainably manage tourism in island and coastal
destinations most vulnerable to climate
change.
This is
the 5th and final Ocean Breakthrough to be
launched - and represents a game-changing
opportunity for Small Island Developing States
(SIDS).
● Achieving
the Breakthrough targets could transform low and
middle-income coastal economies.
● Tourism
contributes 9% of global GDP, employs one in
10 people, and generates 8% of global GHG
emissions, with coastal tourism comprising 50% of
the sector and remaining a rapidly growing ocean
economy pillar.
The
Coastal Tourism Breakthrough is building on and
supporting the work of several global
organizations, including World
Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the
High-Level
Panel on Sustainable Ocean Economy and the
Glasgow
Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
Charting
a new course: launch of The 2030 Marine
Biodiversity and Ocean Health Breakthrough and
Roadmap:
Today,
seven partners, including private sector shipping
coalitions, NGOs, and regional ocean initiatives,
launch The 2030
Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health Breakthrough
and Roadmap. This
Breakthrough provides a roadmap for businesses and
national governments to reduce maritime impacts on
the ocean while transitioning to a just,
equitable, and resilient zero-emission shipping
sector.
An example
of good practice is the World
Shipping Council’s ‘Whale Chart’ - a
voyage planning tool used by companies like MSC,
Maersk, and CMA CGM.
Led by the
Sustainable Shipping
Initiative and Equal
Routes, the Breakthrough is supported by the UN
Foundation, the UN Climate Change High-Level
Champions, and the Marrakech Partnership for
Global Climate Action.
Seagrass
solutions: A game-changer for climate and
biodiversity action:
Efforts
have advanced to protect seagrass, one of the
planet’s most underappreciated ecosystems -
capturing up to 35 times more carbon than
rainforests per unit area:
● Three
countries have endorsed the 2030
Seagrass Breakthrough since COP
28, others are considering participation.
● In
2024, the importance of seagrass ecosystems was
further recognized at the Conference
of the Parties to the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
(COP 14 CMS), with a
resolution to protect, conserve and restore global
seagrass by 2030.
The
Breakthrough, led by the UN Convention on
Migratory Species (UN-CMS), is a framework for
safeguarding 16m hectares of seagrass by 2030,
mobilizing at least USD 12bn to protect and
restore global seagrass ecosystems.
30
nations strong: The Mangrove Breakthrough powers
global climate action:
● The
UAE’s updated NDC
highlights
mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass meadows, and
algal mats as critical for carbon storage and
coastal resilience against sea level
rise.
● Following
its 2023 endorsement, the UAE adopted a mangroves
goal in its National Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plan to protect 30% of terrestrial and
marine areas by 2030.
Since COP
28, the Breakthrough has advanced significantly -
launching NDC and Finance Task Forces,
establishing an Advisory Council, and creating a
Secretariat. The NDC Task Force, led by The Pew
Charitable Trusts and the Global Mangrove
Alliance, is transforming endorsements into action
through mangrove-positive national climate and
biodiversity goals.
70
Global Voices Call for Nature in the
NCQG:
A global
group of 70 NGOs, business coalitions, individual
companies, Indigenous Peoples organizations and
influential individuals have issued a statement calling
for Parties to recognize and finance nature within
the New Collective Quantified Goal
(NCQG).
COP
29 Ocean & Coastal Zones announcements:
Outside of
the Breakthroughs, COP 29 has rallied a raft of
nature-positive initiatives:
● The COP29
Declaration on Enhanced Action in Tourism promises
to accelerate climate action in the tourism sector
and to commit endorsers to sustainable
tourism.
● Integrating Responsible Offshore
Wind into NDCs - A
guidance tool launched by Ocean Conservancy and
the Global Offshore Wind Alliance
(GOWA).
● COP29 Baku
Ocean Declaration from the
Ocean Pavilion, urges all countries, relevant
organizations, and companies to prioritize
ocean-based actions that advance shared priorities
across the climate, biodiversity, and
desertification COPs. This includes fostering
international collaboration and scaling up public
and private funding.
● Policy
Brief: ‘Unpacking
Ocean Finance For Climate Action: A Roadmap For
The United Nations Framework Convention On Climate
Change’ launched
by The Ocean & Climate Platform and ORRA, and
the support of partners.
● Nature4Climate
Coalition launched ‘Preparing
to Enhance the Inclusion of Nature in 2025
NDCs’ helping
stakeholders to integrate nature’s key role in
addressing loss and damage, and the role of
nature-based solutions, including coastal and
marine ecosystems.
● ‘Ocean
Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition for Cities
and Regions,’ an initiative chaired by the City of
Nice and coordinated by the Ocean & Climate
Platform with support from the governments of
France and Costa Rica.
Impact
Makers
In the
face of the climate crisis, solutions are emerging
faster than ever, tackling every aspect of the
challenge. The new High-Level Champions’ series,
Impact
Makers, in
collaboration with The Edges of Earth, shines a
spotlight on those leading this change from the
ground up - the Ocean Breakthroughs in action!
Explore
today’s Impact Makers leading the way on ocean,
gender equality, and nature-based
solutions:
GATOR
HALPERN - Scaling
coral restoration to combat ocean
warming.
ANNIKA
DEGEN -
Bridging gender and climate action through global
conversations.
NEAL
SPACKMAN -
Reversing ecosystem degradation and building
regenerative economies.
RAJESH
SHAH
-
Championing community-driven climate resilience
through the Great Green Wall of
Gujarat.
RUDY
ORTEGA JR. -
Building climate resilience for the Fernandeño
Tataviam Band of Mission Indians.
KHALED
MOHAMED NOBY -
Balancing renewable energy expansion with
biodiversity conservation in Egypt.
WOMEN
& CLIMATE CHANGE SPOTLIGHT
As part of
an exploration into how inclusivity accelerates
climate action, our first feature shines a
spotlight on the pivotal role women play in
advancing equitable and effective solutions.
Featuring
insights from the High-Level Champions, Indigenous
leaders, business pioneers, and academics, this
piece delves into how diverse perspectives are
catalytic to the race to a fairer, healthier and
more resilient world.
READ MORE
HERE
Call
for inputs: COP29 climate action
announcements
The
UNFCCC secretariat is tracking climate action
announcements made at COP 29, including the launch
of:
● climate
initiatives;
● pledges
and declarations;
● publications
and reports;
● any
other climate action announcements.
This
information will be used to inform the Global
Climate Action Portal (GCAP), formally known as
Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA),
in particular, its COP 29 event page. Please
find the online form to submit your inputs
here
or via the
QR code below.
For
further information please visit: https://climateaction.unfccc.int/Events/COP29). | 
