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• H.E. Mr. Anote Tong, President of Kiribati

• H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco

Oceans Day Agenda• To review each major “building block” of a comprehensive strategy

on oceans and climate and discuss how it may be advanced in the next phase

• Discuss how the building blocks fit together and jointly enhance the resilience of ocean ecosystems and coastal communities, or alternatively, how pursuing one building block could thwart the other approaches or threaten the functioning of ocean ecosystems

• Discuss how we can collaborate further and more effectively to have an impact in the UNFCCC process

• Discuss how can we collaborate effectively in the Rio+20 process, which will examine progress achieved (or lack thereof) since the Earth Summit in 1992 and point the way toward a new vision of a low carbon economic order.

Evolving Consensus of the Oceans Community

Develop a comprehensive strategy on oceans and climate,

both within and outside the UNFCCC process (reflected in

the Oceans Day at Copenhagen and in the Co-Chairs Report

from Global Oceans Conference 2010)

Oceans and Climate Strategy

Major Elements:

Mitigation

Adaptation

Financing

Capacity Development

Public Education

Mitigation—Central Point• Need for stringent reductions in greenhouse emissions within a

short time frame

• Continue to emphasize the the central role of oceans in climate, the fact that coastal populations and small island developing States (SIDS) are at the frontline of climate change, and the specific effects of ocean warming and ocean acidification

  Ocean warming• sea level rise

• intensity and frequency of storms

• changes in species distribution and

• ecosystem function

• changes in ocean currents/circulation

  Ocean acidification

• Enhance the science/policy interface on climate and ocean issues and forecast capacity

Questions

• How can these central points be made in a more compelling way? (e.g., scenario demonstrations)

• Should there be a focus on a “signature issue” such as sea level rise/flooding which is easily understood by decisionmakers?

• Does further evidence needs to be mobilized?

• What needs to be better communicated, how, and by whom?

• What to do if the key decisionmakers are not convinced or do not care?

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Mitigation– Using the Oceans for Mitigation

• Develop protocol regarding natural carbon sinks in coastal areas, “blue carbon” (as in REDD with forests)

• Reduce CO2 emissions from ships

• Develop ocean-based renewable energy, using marine spatial planning

• Consider and develop regulatory systems for carbon capture and storage via injection in deep seabed geological formations

• Discourage other geo-engineering approaches, such as iron fertilization, CO2 injection in water column

• Capacity development and public education on mitigation measures

 

Questions: How to advance the mitigation issues within UNFCCC,

outside UNFCCC

What is needed to advance the issues? e.g.:• Additional information, operationalization, analysis• Consensus building • Working with governments in the formal process • Policy and regulatory development• Identifying and disseminating best practices• Capacity development, public outreach

Learning from the evolution of other areas (such as forests)

Adaptation• Implement adaptation through integrated coastal and ocean

management institutions at national, regional and local levels

• Apply ecosystem-based adaptation strategies to increase resilience of ecosystems and communities, including networks of MPAs

• Prepare for the legal, economic, social, and humanitarian issues associated with climate change effects on coastal zones and SIDS, especially regarding displacement of coastal populations

• Deploy early warning/early action systems

• Capacity development on adaptation

• Public education on adaptation 

Financing, Capacity Development, Public Education and Policy Development

• Develop and promote better estimates of costs of adaptation and potential for mitigation relating to oceans and coastal areas. Current estimates fail to incorporate a variety of climate change effects as well as the latest scientific evidence on projected impacts

• The financing needs will be large. One could argue that least 50% of adaptation funding should be dedicated to coastal populations and SIDS since they will be the most vulnerable

• Capacity development and public education to support mitigation and adaptation efforts

QuestionsHow to estimate needs for adaptation financing, including:• Forecasting, scenario building, assessment techniques• Developing the capacity of national and local officials• Raising the awareness and knowledge of the public• Instituting response measures, with associated stakeholder

processes• Developing early warning/early action responses• Disaster preparedness, response, and rehabilitation• Developing regional risk insurance approachesHow to best structure and fund early warning and response

systems?How to estimate needs associated with displacement of coastal

populations, including legal and humanitarian aspects (development of new international law on displacement and resettlement)

Questions

• Is a special Coastal Adaptation Fund needed? How might it be structured/operate?

• How to encourage the naming of existing ICM/EBM institutions as lead for coastal climate change/response?

• How to value the application and effectiveness of ecosystem-based management approaches?

Cross-Cutting Questions

• Mechanism for examining the “building blocks” together? Tracking and analyzing progress in each, looking at interconnections

• Building the needed political support

– Encouragement and support of coastal group within UNFCCC

– Coastal focal point within UNFCCC

• Instituting a staged approach? What would be the top priority(s)?

The time to act is now, not tomorrow

From Rio to Johannesburg and Back: Moving Forward on the Oceans Agenda

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain and Dr. Miriam BalgosGlobal Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands

UNCSD 2012, May 14-16, 2012, Rio de Janeiro Objectives:– Securing Political Commitment– Assessing Progress– New and Emerging Challenges– Green Economy– Sustainable Development

Themes:– Green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty

eradication– Institutional framework for sustainable development

Key dates:– 1st meeting of the Preparatory Committee was held from 16-18 May 2010– 2nd meeting of the Preparatory Committee will be held from 7-8 March 2011– 3rd and final meeting of the Preparatory Committee will be held in Brazil from 9-11

May 2012 – Regional implementation meetings (will become regional preparatory meetings for

the Conference in 2012)– 1st Intersessional meeting will take place in New York from 10-11 January 2011– 2nd Intersessional meeting will take place in New York from 14-15 November 2011– 3rd Intersessional meeting will take place from 5-7 March 2012

Green Economy

• UNEP: “Greening the economy refers to the process of reconfiguring businesses and infrastructure to deliver better returns on natural, human and economic capital investments, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, extracting and using less natural resources, creating less waste and reducing social disparities.”

Green Economy• Main tenets:

– investing in natural capital

– de‐carbonizing the economy

– creating green jobs (IUCN)

• Not a goal but a means to achieving sustainable development (Banuri 2010)

• Implications of pursuing Green Economy as a strategy to achieve sustainable development in the oceans: – Renewable energy (big push needed)

– Green carbon

– Valuation of ecosystem resources and services

– Subsidies and eco-tax reform

– Community benefits

– Create markets for services/pollutants/by-products

– Others (in ports and shipping, tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, coastal development, etc.)

Comments from Rio+20 Prep Com 1

Different conceptions of a green economy among countries

Developing country concerns• Should be flexible to accommodate diverse approaches,

and not lead to: (1) privatization of nature, (2) trade protection, (3) aid conditionality, or (3) a straightjacket

• Request to DESA, UNEP and other relevant organizations prepare a study to assess the benefits, challenges, and risks associated with a green economy transition.

(Banuri, UNDESA 2010)

Korea and Green Growth

President Lee Myung-bak:

“…I would like to present “Low-Carbon, Green Growth” as the new vision of Korea. Through Green Growth, I will establish the foundation for prosperity of our children in 10 and 20 years to come….”

“….Green Growth will enable a “Miracle on the Korean Peninsula”……R&D investsments in green technology will more than double, thereby making Korea a leading powerhouse in the green technology market, which is expected to amount to ……USD 2.46 trillion by 2020…..”

Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

• Global institutions charged with developing, monitoring and implementing policies on sustainable development across its three pillars – social, environmental and economic

• Main institutions:– UNEP, established in 1972 at Stockholm Conference

– CSD, established in 1992 at UNCED

• Analysis of effectiveness indicates that failure to halt or reverse global environmental degradation relates to inherent inadequacies of the global governance system

• Discussion and debate regarding reform ongoing, Rio+20 provides an opportunity to spur progress towards a more effective global system of international environmental governance– Oceans a key part of this

6th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands 2012

• Will assess progress (or lack thereof) on oceans and coasts since 1992, and provide a new vision for the next phase

• Will involve preparatory meetings in different regions and detailed assessments of aspects of Chapter 17 Agenda 21 and of WSSD global prescriptions on oceans

• Global Oceans Conference 2012, to be held before Rio+20, to be focused on the assessment and the new vision

• GOC6 will contribute directly to the Rio+20 process

Breakout Sessions

3 Breakout sessions--Mitigation (including capacity building)– Dorothee

Herr, Joe Appiott

--Adaptation, financing (including capacity building)—Miriam Balgos, Janot Mendler de Suarez

--Rio+20 process– Biliana Cicin-Sain, Evelia Rivera-Arriaga, Kateryna Wowk