Carbon Institute contributes to 2019 Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action

The Carbon Institute was invited to contribute to the 2019 Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action report which was recently published in anticipation of the UNFCCC COP25 in Madrid in December. The 2019 report assessed critical areas of progress at the ocean-climate nexus over the past year, covering new scientific updates, action within the UNFCCC, mobilization of governments and civil society, and developments on mitigation, adaptation, the Blue Economy, displacement, financing, and capacity development. The assessment featured contributions from experts in intergovernmental, governmental, and civil society organizations, with John-O Niles from the Carbon Institute outlining key priorities and actions in international capacity development.

History of ROCA

The Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) is a multi-stakeholder initiative of the International Expert Working Group on Oceans and Climate launched at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco. ROCA works to implement the Strategic Action Roadmap on Oceans and Climate: 2016-2021, which presents policy recommendations, scientific analyses, and priorities for action on six main thematic working areas for oceans:

1. Central role of oceans in climate
2. Mitigation
3. Adaptation
4. Displacement
5. Financing
6. Capacity development

The activities of ROCA serve to emphasize the importance of oceans to climate stability and planetary wellbeing, assess the current status of the issue both within and outside of the UNFCCC, understand the pathways to advance the issue between 2016 and 2021, and discuss financial considerations for the issues.

2019 assessment

The Carbon Institute’s contributions can be read in the 9th chapter on Capacity Development of the 2019 Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action report.

The chapter details ongoing activities and developments on capacity development for the ocean-climate nexus including the SBI Capacity-building Synthesis Report, the 2019 Paris Committee on Capacity-Building Reports, the 8th Durban Forum in Capacity-building, and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).