The policy brief 'Oceans-Climate Interface: Implications for Global Commons based Climate Action' was launched on Wednesday at a session on aClimate Action through Innovation, Implementation and Inclusive Multi-level Governance', organized by TERI and TERI School of Advanced Studies in collaboration with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Japan, and
The knowledge document was produced as part of the COP27 Compass component of the Act4Earth initiative launched at the
Oceans, which are the largest known carbon sink in the world, were largely omitted from the climate change negotiations until COP21 held in 2015.
The policy brief focuses on the global commons of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and climate action, and examines the interface between climate and ocean governance.
"The oceans have long been neglected in the climate change negotiations, even though the UNFCCC clearly identified its role as the globe's most important carbon sink. The existing patchwork of agreements on the High Seas, including the
The policy brief highlights the gaps in the climate-ocean interface and examines it through the lens of the global commons. Global commons are resource domains that do not fall under the jurisdiction of any single country, and their governance remains contentious since there is no single state or region having complete responsibility over it.
Pointing to the gaps in the present climate regime, Kedia said, "Since climate negotiations are party-driven, climate actions in national jurisdictions have received larger attention and global commons including oceans have not been a focus area in terms of climate ambition and action."
She underscored the need for greater interactions between the climate regime and ocean regime involving UNFCCC and UNCLOS.
The knowledge document observes that problems of ocean equity are often not explicitly stated. "It is a hard fact that till date the distribution of benefits of oceans has been iniquitous and the ocean economy has primarily benefited wealthy nations and firms," it notes.
While oceans have helped in slowing the rate of climate change by acting as a carbon sink, climate change impacts such as acidification, warming, changing circulation patterns and rising sea levels have deeply affected it as well.
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