COP26: Government leads on Ocean Action Day
The UK Presidency called world leaders to take ambitious steps towards ocean health to achieve net zero ambitions and keep a rise of no more than 1.5°C within reach
The UK Presidency marked ‘Ocean Action Day’ at COP26 (5th November), championing a call for action to protect and restore ocean health and resilience. A healthy ocean is an essential ally in our fight against climate change. Protecting the marine environment and restoring key habitats – from seagrasses and mangroves to saltmarshes and coral reefs – is critical to help us tackle climate change and respond to its impacts.
The UK Presidency called upon world leaders to take ambitious steps towards ocean health and resilience in order to achieve net zero ambitions and keep a rise of no more than 1.5°C within reach.
To help drive this, the UK made a number of announcements, including contributing £6 million to PROBLUE, a World Bank fund that supports sustainable ocean projects, and £1 million to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs on top of the £5 million announced earlier this year.
Protecting the world’s ocean is vital to safeguard a healthy and thriving environment for future generations to enjoy and today’s announcements were made on Youth and Public Empowerment Day at COP26, which highlights the critical role of young people in taking climate action.
International Environment Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said:
The ocean plays a unique role in regulating our climate. There is no pathway to net zero – or any of our shared global goals – that does not involve protecting and restoring nature, including the ocean, on an unprecedented scale.
At COP26, we have brought the ocean community together to recognise and value the restoration and protection of the marine environment. Working collaboratively with the international community and continuing to invest in climate research will create a healthy, resilient and biodiverse ocean for future generations.
No Comment