The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. ESCAP is the regional arm of the United Nations, playing a unique role as the only intergovernmental forum for all countries and territories of Asia and the Pacific region.
– During the Seventy-ninth session of the Commission, ESCAP member States adopted a resolution (RES/79/2) to accelerate ocean-based action to combat climate change including through capacity building. innovation, technology development and transfer and requested ESCAP to convene a dialogue on ocean- based climate action (OBCA) prior to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference.
– Considering that ocean-based climate solutions could significantly contribute to reducing the “emissions gap” to support achieving 1.5°C pathway, the dialogue is aimed to facilitate discussions on the potential of ocean-based climate solutions in Asia and the Pacific.
– Cross-sectoral opportunities encompass expanding marine conservation and restoration, scaling up ocean-based renewable energy, decarbonizing shipping. enhancing ocean-climate resilience, etc.
– In this connection, at the 6 Asia-Pacific Day for the Ocean held on 30 October 2023, the Government of Indonesia, as the initiator of the Resolution 79/2, shared its interest in promoting regional OBCA cooperation including through developing a regional voluntary initiative taking the opportunity of the dialogue. Regional OBCA cooperation could support implementing decisions of recent Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC as well as various multilateral processes.
– The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan adopted by COP27 in 2022 underscored the role of the ocean by encouraging the inclusion of ocean-based action in national climate goals including nationally determined contributions (NDCs). COP28, based on the first global stocktake which recognizes the critical role of the ocean in achieving net zero emissions, called on scaling up ocean-based mitigation action such as preserving oceans and coastal ecosystems.
– The G20 in 2022, presided by Indonesia, incorporated ocean and climate nexus into the Bali Leaders Declaration, which acknowledges the role of seagrasses, coral reefs, mangrove, wetland ecosystems in supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation. The ASEAN’s Blue Economy Framework adopted in 2023 perceives the blue economy as the new engine for ASEAN’s future economic growth and encompasses ocean and climate elements including assessing emissions and carbon sequestration of coastal ecosystem, applying blue carbon in line with NDCs, and prioritizing blue and renewable energy development.
This side event will provide an opportunity to discuss ongoing developments on ocean-based climate actions across the region and to identify the thematic elements of the regional OBCA dialogue to take place on 23 September 2024 in Bangkok.
– Delegations and experts may provide recommendations on actionable proposals that could be integrated into potential areas of regional OBCA cooperation to be discussed at the regional dialogues.
