ABOUT
The 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28), taking place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, U.A.E., 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 #COP28 toolkit is designed to demonstrate public support for ocean climate action. Using the Toolkit resources throughout the UN Climate Conference this December supports:
- The amplification of the COP28 Nature Positive campaign messaging calling on world leaders and decision makers to immediately halt and reverse nature loss by 2030;
- The top ocean asks and messages at COP28 from the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, Ocean-Climate Platform and Friends of Blue COP, including the Ocean Breakthroughs, as transformative pathways covering key ocean sectors, where accelerated action and investments could deliver on the global goals for Climate, Nature and People.
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.
At COP27, we continued to see some progress for the ocean, reflected through the first-ever Ocean Pavilion, the organization of over 300 ocean-related events, and the reference to the ocean in the final COP27 declaration. However, much more work is needed to ensure the world keeps the 1.5°C target alive.
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.
Achieving the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without a healthy and resilient ocean. A portfolio of ocean-based strategies are scientifically proven to help address climate change, they are grossly underfunded, and yet central to adaptation, resilience and sustainable development. These include sustainably managed fisheries, blue carbon ecosystem restoration, highly protected marine protected areas and renewable technologies.
COP28, this December, is an opportunity to build on the progress made for the ocean at COP27 in 2022. The OneOcean Flotilla can raise its collective voice again to get the COP28 delegates to #ListenToTheOcean and reflect on its critical role in their decisions.
KEY ASKS & OUTCOMES FOR COP28
Call on decision makers to:
1. Increase the integration and inclusion of the ocean into the Global Stocktake outcomes.
- The ocean is still largely absent from the Global Stocktake since it is not explicitly mentioned in any of the key messages emerging from the Global Stocktake technical assessment.
- At COP28, Parties will build the political response to the assessment - the CMA5 Decision - defining the way forward to course-correct and keep the 1.5°C target alive.
- Integrating the ocean in the CMA5 Decision would provide the necessary guidance and understanding to strengthen ocean-based climate measures in the next round of Nationally Determined Contribution submissions and raise their ambition.
2. Support and endorse the Ocean Breakthroughs as a roadmap to raise ambition.
- Parties can use the Ocean Breakthroughs as pathways to accelerate ocean-climate action and contribute to a resilient, nature-positive and net-zero future by 2050. See the identified Ocean Breakthrough targets.
- COP28 is an opportunity for Parties to join the momentum initiated and support the Breakthroughs, showing leadership and ambition to create the enabling conditions for accelerated investments and ready-to-implement measures.
3. Recognise the conclusions of the 2023 Ocean and Climate Dialogue.
- The Ocean Climate Dialogue provides a vital space for Parties to share experiences and lessons learned. The Dialogue advances ocean-climate action in countries’ national climate strategies, especially Nationally Determined Contributions.
- Recognising the conclusions of the 2023 Dialogue in the COP28 final decision is an opportunity to support their implementation.
See Top Messages and Facts below for further information.
4 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
1. AMPLIFY
Use this toolkit and associated resources to send a clear message to world leaders at COP28 that they must take the ocean and ocean-climate solutions seriously if we are to solve the climate crisis. Follow @OceanFlotilla and #ListenToTheOcean for ocean climate action news and updates from #COP28 to amplify.
2. USE IMPACTFUL OCEAN VISUALS
Ocean Visuals has created an 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 COP28 OCEAN EVENTS TRACKER
To stay up to date on all ocean-related events at COP28, please check out the Ocean Events Tracker being hosted by the Virtual Ocean Pavilion on their website. All you need to do is create an account and you will be able to see the full schedule of ocean events. If you would like to submit an event to be included in the Ocean Events Tracker, please complete this Google form here.
4. VIRTUAL OCEAN PAVILION AT COP28
Cannot attend COP28? Not to worry! The Virtual Ocean Pavilion (VOP) has you covered. The COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion welcomes everyone who's passionate about the planet and the role of the ocean in climate negotiations. It's designed for attendees from around the world who are eager to make a difference and drive positive change. If you're an advocate for ocean sustainability, a climate enthusiast, or simply curious about the ocean's connection to climate action, this event is for you.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
The #COP28 #ListenToTheOcean campaign messaging will be shared from the OneOcean social media channels – please like, comment and share content.
Follow @OceanFlotilla on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok.
And remember to tag us in your posts – @OceanFlotilla – and use the campaign hashtags: #ListenToTheOcean #OceanForClimate #OceanBreakthroughs
COP28 HASHTAGS
#COP28 #COP28UAE #Actionism #GlobalStocktake #NetZero #NaturePositive
OCEAN HASHTAGS
#OceanForClimate #OceanAction #OceanBreakthroughs #OceanPavilion #VirtualOceanPavilion #ListenToTheOcean #OceanForClimate
COP28 HANDLES
- Twitter: @COP28_UAE
- Instagram: @cop28uaeofficial
- LinkedIn: @cop28uaeofficial
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:
TOP MESSAGES
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 well-being, preserves cultural heritage, and supports the 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 a healthy and resilient ocean, and the services it provides, can play a significant role.
2. A range of strategies prioritising a healthy ocean has been scientifically proven to help address climate change, they are grossly underfunded, and yet central to adaptation, resilience and sustainable development.
The Ocean Breakthroughs provide transformative pathways covering five key ocean sectors, where accelerated action and investments could deliver on the global goals for Climate, Nature, and People. These include:
- Marine Conservation: By 2030, at least US $72 billion invested to maintain the integrity of ocean ecosystems by protecting, restoring, and conserving at least 30% of the ocean for the benefit of people, climate and nature
- Aquatic Food: By 2030, provide at least US $4 billion per year to support resilient aquatic food systems that will contribute to healthy, regenerative ecosystems, and sustain the food and nutrition security for 3 billion people.
- Ocean Renewable Energy: By 2030, install at least 380 gigawatts of offshore capacity while establishing targets and enabling measures for net-positive biodiversity outcomes and advocate for mobilizing $10 billion in concessional finance for developing economies to reach that goal.
- Shipping: By 2030, zero-emission fuels make up 5% of international shipping’s energy demand. 450,000 seafarers need to be retrained and upskilled. At least 30% of global trade needs to move through climate-adapting ports.
FACTS
1. The ocean is our climate hero. Covering over 70% of our planet, the Ocean makes our planet habitable through regulating global climate and temperature, and influencing weather patterns, as ocean currents redistribute heat from the equator to the poles.
2. The ocean has helped to mitigate the impacts of human-induced climate change, having absorbed around 30% of CO2 emissions and over 90% of excess heat generated by our burning of fossil fuels.
3. Without the ocean absorbing most of the excess heat generated by fossil fuel burning, the world’s atmosphere would be up to 36°C warmer, rendering large parts of our planet unliveable.
4. Marine species and habitats are amongst our greatest allies in tackling the climate crisis. Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds and tidal marshes capture and store vast quantities of carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation. Some seagrasses can capture carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
5. Marine sediments store nearly double the amount of carbon in the top meter compared to soils on land.
6. Marine life including zooplankton, fish and whales are crucial to ocean carbon cycling. Fishes are estimated to contribute about 16% of the carbon that sinks from the sunlit, surface ocean to the deep.
7. Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, home to 25% of all marine life and it’s estimated more than 600 million people depend on coral reefs for food and livelihoods.
8. A range of strategies prioritizing a healthy ocean have been scientifically proven to help address climate change and reduce the emissions gap to achieve the 1.5°C target. These include sustainably managed fisheries, blue carbon ecosystem restoration, highly protected marine protected areas and renewable technologies.
9. 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.
10. 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 including storm surges and flooding.
SAMPLE POSTS
Provided below are suggested social posts and social media tiles to join the online conversation
The draft social media posts are styled as tweets: please adapt the language to fit Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media platform you prefer.
Share the messages below or create your own - Use the content, assets and messaging that best fits your organization’s mission.
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Did you know that marine 🌊 species and habitats are among our best allies in tackling the climate crisis, or that some seagrasses 🌿 can sequester carbon up to 35 times faster than rainforests?
Swipe left 👈 to discover 5️⃣ reasons why we need to put a healthy ocean at the heart of climate solutions.
As leaders convene at #COP28, let's emphasize that ocean-climate solutions are vital for achieving #NetZero. It's imperative that world leaders place 🌊 preservation at the 💙 of climate solutions.
It's time for leaders at @cop28uaeofficia to #ListenToTheOcean 🐚🌊
#OneOceanOnePlanet #ListenToTheOcean #OceanForClimate #NaturePositive #COP28UAE #ClimateAction #COP28 #ClimateCrises #ClimateSolutions
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.