Oceans are vital for maintaining the global climate system and yet discussions on oceans remain relatively absent from climate debates. Annually, oceans also absorb more than 25% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and are the largest net supplier of oxygen in the world, being as important as forests. However, they are degrading at a dangerous pace, putting at risk their role as climate regulators. To enhance synergies between oceans and climate, the High Level Scientific Conference will convene in Paris, France, from 10-11 September 2018. The Conference is being organized by the Ocean & Climate Platform and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO), in the context of the upcoming UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). It is expected to: synthesize recent scientific progress on ocean and climate interlinkages; evaluate the latest ocean-climate trends within the context of increased ocean action; and reflect on ways to move “from science to action.” The conference will:

The Ocean & Climate Platform is an alliance of non-governmental organizations and research institutes and it is supported by IOC-UNESCO. Created in June 2014 during the World Ocean day, it gathers over 70 organizations, including scientific organizations, universities, research institutions, non-profit associations, foundations, science centers, public institutions and business organizations, which are united to bring the ocean to the forefront in climate discussions.The UN has proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and gather ocean stakeholders worldwide to develop ocean science and countries’ policies to make our oceans more sustainable. As mandated by the UN General Assembly, IOC-UNESCO will coordinate the Decade’s preparatory process, inviting the global oceans community to deliver “the ocean we need for the future we want.”

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided a summary report from the High-Level Scientific Conference “From COP21 towards the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030),” which is avaliable in HTML and PDF.