Ocean Voices at UNFCCC’s SB 60

The Nippon Foundation-University of Edinburgh Ocean Voices Programme’s Projects and Partnerships Manager, Gail Sant, attended the 60th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB 60) between 10^th and 13^th June in Bonn, Germany. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) aim to address cross-cutting issues by connecting scientific information and the policy needs of governing bodies, and assess the implementation of the UNFCCC.

COP 26, in 2021, requested that an annual ocean and climate change dialogue would be held to consider how to integrate and strengthen ocean-based climate action under the UNFCCC. The dialogue held at SB 60 addressed the two main topics:

• Topic 1: Marine biodiversity conservation and coastal resilience.
• Topic 2: Technology needs for the ocean – climate action, including finance links.

Gail was one of the 18 moderators and rapporteurs that facilitated the breakout groups for these topics and reported back on the breakout groups from Topic 1. The key themes from Topic 1 are highlighted below:

1. Alignment and coordination between different international agreements to achieve different targets and their corresponding climate-biodiversity benefits.
2. Inclusive and participatory ocean-climate policy and action that includes different forms of knowledge.
3. Accessible, long-term finance, especially for communities that face sudden, disproportionate effects due to climate change, such as SIDS.
4. Enhanced protection and restoration of marine ecosystems through scientific, technical and traditional tools and best practices.

Stay tuned to hear more from each of the Fellows by following Ocean Voices on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

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