Spain

Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition, Spain; IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee; Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain; Carolina Schmidt, COP 25 President, Chile; UN Secretary-General António Guterres; and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, welcome delegates to the offical opening of COP 25. The Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference opened under the glare of camera lenses and flashes: the fast-paced atmosphere inevitably created when Heads of State and Government arrive. Roughly 50 world leaders gathered to hear UN Secretary-General António Guterres somberly declare that the “point of no return is in sight.” As these dignitaries shared experiences on raising climate ambition in their countries, many emphasized that enhanced action is a moral imperative. Notably, several speakers spoke of a “climate crisis” and paid tribute to youth movements for holding decision makers accountable for increasing ambition. Another message that resonated across statements was the need to support the most vulnerable, with the Dominican Republic emphasizing the importance of public services, especially regarding education and health, and Luxembourg announcing national plans to make public transportation free for all. The EU highlighted its plan to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. COP 25 President Carolina Schmidt, Chile, underscored the need to reinvigorate multilateralism and ensure that negotiations spur the just and inclusive transition which is urgently needed to address the reality of vulnerable communities around the world. Throughout the day, delegates met in plenary to launch the work of all five UNFCCC bodies. Much of the morning involved discussions on the agendas of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA). Various parties and groups had proposed several new agenda items. Some of the items to be taken forward include: Privileges and immunities to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will be considered with other GCF-related issues on the COP agenda; The special needs and circumstances of African and Latin American countries will not be on the CMA agenda, but the special circumstances of Africa will be discussed informally; and The report of the Adaptation Committee will be added to the CMA agenda, and parties will discuss the global goal on adaptation in an informal meeting. Some delegates worried if the disagreements over the agendas, and the means to resolve some of them, had eroded trust among negotiators. Others disagreed and looked forward to a more “normal” pace of work tomorrow. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).

On Thursday morning, participants to the Before the Blue COP workshop met to discuss challenges and opportunities in integrating the ocean in NDCs. Manuel Barange, UN FAO, introduced a technical report by the FAO on the impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture as a sector-specific toolbox for countries to work on adaptation planning, including for National Adaptation Plans and NDCs. Responding to many participants’ enquiries, Dorothée Herr, IUCN, explained why discussions on blue carbon largely focus on greenhouse gas sequestration in vegetated coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, referring to, inter alia, the long-term carbon storage potential of these ecosystems. Sarah Cooley, Ocean Conservancy, discussed acidification impacts on marine ecosystems. She said carbon dioxide has a direct impact on acidification. Diego Kersting, Freie Univerität Berlin, highlighted consequences of climate change and ocean warming including: mass mortality of organisms such as corals and sponges, decrease of Atlantic algal forests, and increased vulnerability of other species. Beñat Sanz Antoñanzas, APPA Marina, presented on the role of marine renewable energy, and noted advantages, including: predictability and good integration with other renewable sources. Itziar Martín, Spain, emphasized that climate change effects that are relevant for the management of MPAs are already perceptible. Gemma Harper, UK, highlighted that her country is collaborating with the IUCN to explore ways to ensure that MPAs are “climate-smart,” including with regard to strengthened coastal defenses for climate adaptation. In the afternoon, participants addressed national perspectives on pathways for advancing the consideration of ocean and climate interlinkages. In the closing session, Rémi Parmentier, Because the Ocean Initiative, presented a preliminary list of take-aways from the workshop, including: NDCs offer opportunities to address ocean and climate interlinkages, but other vehicles such as National Adaptation Plans should also be considered; There is 'great appetite' for political initiatives to increase the momentum on the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus; and Cooperation between the marine and climate communities should be fostered at international, regional, and national levels. In final remarks, Valvanera Ulargui, Spain, stressed the importance of supporting the Chilean COP 25 Presidency in making the “Blue COP” a success. It was noted that conversations will continue in the workshop series. The meeting closed at 4:56 pm.

The Before the Blue COP workshop opened on Wednesday 10 April, at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. Teresa Ribera, Minister for Ecological Transition, Spain, welcomed participants and called for increasing public awareness on ocean and climate interlinkages. In a video message HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco reiterated his commitment to champion interlinkages between the ocean and climate agendas. Rémi Parmentier, Because the Ocean Initiative, and Loreley Picourt, Ocean and Climate Platform, moderated a roundtable featuring: Peter Thomson, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Ocean, Fiji; Manuel Barange, UN FAO; Anders Jessen, EU Commission; and Sébastien Treyer, CEO, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). In his concluding remarks, Thomson underscored that holding a blue COP is a “one and only opportunity,” stressing the need to grasp this opportunity. Via a video message, the President of the upcoming 25th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Carolina Schmidt, Chile, invited workshop participants to the “blue COP.” She underscored that an effective global response to climate change is not possible without a global response to ocean challenges. In the afternoon session, which took place at the Fundación Biodiversidad, participants outlined their expectations for the workshop, including: the need to identify milestones to foster interlinkages between the climate and ocean agendas; and exchanging knowledge with ocean and climate experts. Rémi Parmentier emphasized the workshop series’ objective to provide room for breaking down silos and exploring the design of ocean-enhanced NDCs, bearing in mind regional differences. Iñigo Losada, University of Cantabria, noted ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and sea level rise are key threats. Joanna Post, UNFCCC Secretariat, and Paul Watkinson, Chair of UNFCCC SBSTA, provided insights into how ocean issues are included in institutional arrangements under the UNFCCC. On regional perspectives, Susana Salvador, OSPAR Commission, delineated how the interlinkages between ocean and climate issues are considered in the North-East Atlantic. Gaetano Leone, UNEP-MAP-Barcelona Convention highlighted it is oftentimes more manageable to agree on political processes and mobilize higher levels of commitment at the regional rather than at the global level.