Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt – On November 20, 2022, the COP27 Presidency released its final decision text. Anna-Marie Laura, Climate Policy Director at Ocean Conservancy, issued the following statement in response:

“The most important COP27 outcome for our ocean and coastal communities who depend on it is the recommitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degree C in line with the Paris Agreement. If the world backslides in our mitigation ambition, we stand to lose ocean and coastal ecosystems that sustain us, and COP27 came dangerously close to moving backwards.

“One of several missed opportunities to raise ambition, for example, was the ignored call from over 80 parties, including major oil and gas producers, to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies. While we applaud parties for finally agreeing on a path forward to financially compensate for the loss and damage experienced by developing nations due to the climate crisis, developed nations nearly blocked this progress. This issue is a matter of survival for so many coastal communities and island nations. While COP27 advanced the momentum from Glasgow for Just Transition, we hope to see the text’s commitment to climate justice, human and Indigenous rights, and a just transition play out in practice.

“There were signs of progress for our ocean and coastal communities. The COP27 outcome reflects wide support for several elements of the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue agreed to in Glasgow that will more effectively catalyze action, including a decision for the dialogue to be led by party co-facilitators with specific topic areas set for each dialogue. However, it omitted additional direction included in earlier drafts and we encourage robust consultation of parties and observers as well as identifying thematic focus areas to be identified well in advance of each dialogue, starting with SBSTA57.

“At Ocean Conservancy, we believe evidence should guide our actions to tackle the climate crisis and we were happy to see the Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change discussed in detail across side-events and inspiring urgency throughout negotiations. We hope to see that urgency translate to more concrete and ambitious actions, including those that protect our ocean and recognize it as a source of solutions, at COP28 next year.”

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Anna-Marie Laura and Ocean Conservancy experts are available for interviews upon request. 

About Ocean Conservancy 

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit http://www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.