about us
Mission
Transform planning and response to climate-ocean change.
Vision
To increase ambition for climate action and ensure resilience of marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
The OA Alliance is the only government-led initiative in the world outlining specific needs for effective management and policy response to acidification.
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We focus on ocean acidification because it is a politically unaccounted for consequence of carbon emissions on our ocean and is central to global climate action, marine governance and equity.
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The OA Alliance utilizes inclusive processes and excellent facilitation skills to identify the biggest needs of our members when it comes to uses of acidification science, applications of policy and governance and effective communications.
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The OA Alliance was launched at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference by the four subnational governments of California, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia in response to the first observed impacts of ocean acidification on oyster hatchery production across the North American West Coast, which necessitated a robust scientific and political response. The OA Alliance’s founding “Call to Action” was agreed to by the original signatories in 2016.
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Through the development of OA Action Plans, members are promoting solutions that advance knowledge into local mitigation, adaptation or resilience efforts. The National OA Action Planning Leadership Circle supports governments in building their OA Action Plans or integrating acidification aspects across mainstream climate and ocean management policies.
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We leverage science to government information sharing globally and through regional working groups which are designed to facilitate co-design of needs assessments and policy recommendations that support our members where they are.
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The OA Alliance actively engages in the UNFCCC Ocean Climate Dialogue which was established in 2019 to explore needed ocean mitigation and adaptation measures across the UNFCCC and subsidiary bodies or processes. The Alliance is a member within the Community of Action to Implement SDG 14.3 “to minimize and address ocean acidification.” We are also a co-champion implementing partner of the UN Decade of Ocean Science endorsed OA Research for Sustainability Programme (OARS).
Leadership and structure
Initiative of the UN Foundation
The OA Alliance is a hosted initiative of the UN Foundation. That means we have our own identity and governance structure in the form an Executive Committee but are part of the UN Foundation family. We are supported by the UN Foundation as our grant manager and our partnership is designed to maximize OA Alliance’s impact, strengthen organizational durability, and further contribute to climate-ocean leadership across international fora like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goal Agenda, and UN Decade of Ocean Science.
OA Alliance Executive Committee
The Executive Committee includes up to to 15 government members of the OA Alliance ; and up to 4 affiliate members of the OA Alliance (this includes foundations or intergovernmental organizations).
Duties include:
Set the long-term goals and commitments of the OA Alliance.
Review and approve the annual work plan and budget.
Provide input on OA Alliance programming to advance the work plan (webinars, trainings, meetings, tools and products).
Represent the OA Alliance, and their government or affiliation’s leadership, experience, and priorities at international meetings, workshops and other learning exchanges.
Set the direction for OA Alliance activities at high-level international ocean and climate events.
The Executive Committee maintains regional geographic diversity and jurisdictional diversity, striving for a blend of national, provincial, state, Tribal and city members.