Ocean-Climate Leaders Joint Statement During U.S. Climate Action Week
Ocean-Climate Leaders Joint Statement on United States’ Nationally Determined Contribution and Climate Commitment
For Immediate Release
April 21, 2021
President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate marks an important step forward in realizing the goals and targets set forth within the Paris Climate Agreement to avert the worst impacts of climate change. We know that the future health of our ocean, ecosystems and communities will be affected by our global greenhouse gas emissions, with a high emissions path posing the most significant risks for severe and large changes.
National, state, Tribal and municipal governments increasingly recognize the important relationship between climate and ocean change. The ocean has absorbed large amounts of carbon dioxide and excess heat from fossil fuel combustion, making our ocean warmer, more acidified, more stratified and oxygen depleted. From oyster die-offs and coral reef bleaching to marine heat waves and harmful algal blooms, coastal communities in the United States and around the world are feeling the effects on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and marine ecosystems that are important for sustaining jobs, coastal economies and cultures, indigenous ways of life, and feeding people.
Setting and achieving ambitious emission targets is the most important step in turning the tide of climate impacts on our ocean. And we know the ocean and ocean-based sectors can play a role. As governments and communities around the world are working to address the health, social justice and economic crisis accelerated by the Covid-19 Pandemic, it’s more important than ever that climate and ocean action are understood as a critical part of building immediate and long-term resiliency. We know we must take an inclusive, intersectoral, whole-of-government approach to global recovery and building back better.
Members of the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (Alliance) demonstrate the kinds of local actions, policy integration and regional cooperation that are mobilizing ambitious and urgent actions for reducing our emissions and helping communities and industries build resilience to climate-ocean change. As drivers of local and regional strategies, the undersigned members of the Alliance support the following actions that will help operationalize the climate-ocean nexus across the United States’ climate commitments.
These actions should be carried out with meaningful consultation to Tribal sovereigns and indigenous peoples, including consideration of tribal treaty rights, responsibilities, diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
SIGNATORIES:
State of Hawai’i State of Maryland State of Oregon State of Washington Gullah Geechee Nation
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Suquamish Tribe Seattle 2030 District Taylor Shellfish Farms
Mook Sea Farm Georgia Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium New England Aquarium Seattle Aquarium
