European Commissioners welcome the UN report on oceans and climate change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has today issued its Special Report on the impact of climate change on oceans and the cryosphere – the frozen parts of our planet. The report provides policy-makers across the globe with a strong scientific basis for their efforts to modernise the economy, tackle climate change and address its impacts on the oceans, promote sustainable development and eradicate poverty.

Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete for Climate Action and Energy, Commissioner Karmenu Vella for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Commissioner Carlos Moedas for Research, Science and Innovation welcome the report, considering it a wake-up call for the global community to tackle climate change and its impacts on oceans as soon as possible.

“The conclusions of this new report are clear: human-induced global warming is drastically changing our oceans. They are heating up, becoming more acidic, contain less oxygen. Sea levels are rising much faster than anticipated.

The effects of this changing environment are devastating for fragile marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass meadows or kelp forests. The food security of people depending on fisheries is at risk. Coastal communities will have to face more frequent extreme events, such as marine heatwaves and flooding. However, healthy oceans can also provide some of the solutions to climate change by capturing most of the excess heat and CO2 produced by our modern society, and by providing sustainable food and renewable energy.

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