Ocean acidification in the climate negotiations

If ocean acidification was redefined as an effect of climate change, the UNFCCC could interpret its existing framework so that parties were required to take action on the issue.

Ocean acidification , the often-neglected "other CO₂ problem," poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities worldwide (IPCC, 2022). The alteration of seawater chemistry, a direct consequence of human-induced carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, disrupts the delicate balance on which marine organisms rely for survival. Coral reef regions are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, but its impacts extend beyond these areas, affecting biodiversity in high seas and marine regions at high latitudes (Fabry et al., 2009). As a result, coastal communities that depend on marine resources for sustenance and livelihoods face significant risks.

Despite its far-reaching implications, ocean acidification often remains overlooked amidst the multitude of consequences linked to climate change and rising CO₂ levels in the atmosphere. Termed the “other CO₂ problem” and the “equally evil twin of climate change”, it languishes on the periphery of mainstream climate discourse. Framing ocean acidification as a distinct problem has left it in a legal “twilight zone” without a specific jurisdiction for mitigation efforts (Harrould-Kolieb, 2016). The UNFCCC is a body tasked with addressing climate change problems, but it seems that even at this level the Ocean Acidification problem is not properly addressed.

The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) within the UNFCCC has so far acknowledged ocean acidification as an emerging issue of relevance. Recognising the significance of this problem, the SBSTA has outlined ocean acidification research as a priority under the Convention. Additionally, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention has acknowledged ocean acidification as a slow-onset event, which is relevant to the discussion of loss and damage caused by climate change (Harrould-Kolieb, 2016). But there is still no overall clear picture or strategy that describes how the UNFCCC should respond to the issue of acidification.

Proposals for legal amendments, the creation of a separate treaty, etc. have been suggested but may face challenges and conflicts among existing frameworks. A logical and straightforward approach would be not to separate ocean acidification from climate change issues, but to redefine ocean acidification as an effect of climate change (Harrould-Kolieb, 2019). By doing so, the UNFCCC could interpret its existing framework to include an obligation to address ocean acidification alongside other climate change impacts like sea-level rise.

Many countries, including those with significant ocean territories, have not yet fully documented the impacts of increasing CO₂ emissions on regional food security, ocean industries and marine economies (Gallo et al. 2017). To accurately assess the comprehensive effects of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, it is crucial to increase emphasis on vulnerability assessments to illuminate the impacts of OA and to explicitly include the impacts of ocean acidification and ocean change within mitigation targets and adaptation strategies at national levels.

In recent years there has been a shift within the UNFCCC towards recognition of the ocean-climate nexus (under the Ocean and Climate Change dialogue process, in the texts etc.). But this is not enough to properly “institutionalise” and address ocean acidification across the UNFCCC, since the Ocean and Climate Change dialogue still lacks concrete, action-oriented goals. The dialogue should become a platform that addresses knowledge, capacity and process gaps, and mainstream ocean-climate action within the UNFCCC and other UN bodies, including strengthening coordination of ocean acidification activities.

Addressing ocean acidification within the context of the UNFCCC and under the Ocean and Climate Change dialogue process is essential for preserving marine life and the well-being of communities that depend on the oceans’ resources. Now is the time for concerted efforts to address this “equally evil twin of climate change” within the context of the UNFCCC, to protect our oceans and secure a sustainable future for all.

Sofia Sadogurska,
Ecoaction, Ukraine

Sources:
Harrould-Kolieb E.R. (2016). Ocean Acidification and the UNFCCC: Finding Legal Clarity in the Twilight Zone, 6 WASH. J. ENVTL. L. & POL'Y 612 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol6/iss2/13
Harrould-Kolieb E.R. (2019). (Re)Framing ocean acidification in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC) and Paris Agreement. Climate Policy, 19(10), 1225-1238. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2019.1649994
Gallo, N.D., Victor, D.G., & Levin, L.A. (2017). Ocean commitments under the Paris Agreement. Nature Climate Change, 7(11), 833-838.
Fabry, V. J., McClintock, J. B., Mathis, J. T., & Grebmeier, J. M. (2009). Ocean acidification at high latitudes: the bellwether. Oceanography, 22(4), 160-171.
IPCC, 2022: Summary for Policymakers [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem (eds.)]. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press.