Maintaining momentum for the ocean-climate nexus in 2023

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the integration of the ocean-climate nexus within the UNFCCC process, evaluating progress from the 'Ocean Super Year' of 2022 through COP27 and looking toward COP28. It emphasizes the need for African stakeholders to shift the global dialogue from negotiation to concrete implementation, leveraging regional initiatives and policy frameworks to drive ambitious ocean-climate action.

• The ocean serves as the planet's largest carbon sink, regulating the climate system by absorbing carbon dioxide, though its capacity is limited as climate change makes oceans warmer, more acidic, and lower in oxygen while raising sea levels.
• Despite the 'Ocean Super Year' of 2022—which saw the BBNJ negotiations, the Our Ocean Conference in Palau, and the adoption of a 30% global marine protection target—the ocean-climate nexus lacks a dedicated space in formal UNFCCC negotiations.
• COP27 in Egypt resulted in a process-oriented outcome rather than substantive action; while it introduced co-facilitators (one from a developed and one from a developing country) to the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, initial proposals for ocean-climate finance were excluded from the final Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan.
• African stakeholders are encouraged to use the Global Stocktake, the Africa Climate Week, and the African Group of Negotiators to ensure the ocean-climate nexus is prioritized at COP28, specifically within the framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation.
• The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) seeks to transition the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue from a knowledge-sharing platform to one focused on implementation, emphasizing the need for technology transfer, capacity-building, and accessible finance.
• Africa has implemented several leading ocean-climate initiatives, including the Great Blue Wall, the world's first debt-for-nature swap for ocean conservation in Seychelles, and projects funded by the Green Climate Fund.
• Long-term progress for Africa's 38 coastal and island states depends on revising Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to include ambitious ocean-climate actions for both mitigation and adaptation.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2023). Maintaining momentum for the ocean-climate nexus in 2023. https://saiia.org.za/research/maintaining-momentum-for-the-ocean-climate-nexus-in-2023/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Maintaining momentum for the ocean-climate nexus in 2023. 2023. https://saiia.org.za/research/maintaining-momentum-for-the-ocean-climate-nexus-in-2023/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Maintaining momentum for the ocean-climate nexus in 2023 |date=7 September 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/maintaining-momentum-for-the-ocean-climate-nexus-in-2023/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2023maintaining, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Maintaining momentum for the ocean-climate nexus in 2023}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/maintaining-momentum-for-the-ocean-climate-nexus-in-2023/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }