Why meeting the Paris Agreement means managing the ocean

The ocean is a critical tool for climate mitigation, absorbing 93% of additional heat and 25-30% of manmade CO2 emissions. The author contends that integrating four key ocean-based activities—blue carbon ecosystem protection, managed fisheries, ocean-based renewable energy, and decarbonized transport—into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) could provide over 20% of the emission reductions needed for a 1.5°C pathway. To achieve this without harming biodiversity, the document advocates for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to enable the co-location of industries, such as offshore wind and nature conservation. Examples include Ørsted's use of stone reefs in Denmark and Dutch projects combining solar energy with seaweed farming in the North Sea.

• The ocean plays a fundamental role in regulating global temperature and oxygen, absorbing 93% of additional heat from manmade CO2 emissions and 25-30% of those emissions, while providing 50-80% of the world's oxygen.
• Four specific ocean-based activities—protection of blue carbon coastal ecosystems, well-managed fisheries, ocean-based renewable energy, and decarbonized ocean-based transport—could contribute more than 20% of the emission reductions required to maintain a 1.5°C pathway if included in NDCs.
• There is significant global potential for offshore wind energy; the World Bank Group estimates potential exceeding 71,000 GW using current technology, while the IEA suggests it could generate 18 times current global electricity demand.
• Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is necessary to manage increasing competition for ocean space among fishing, tourism, military, shipping, renewables, and aquaculture, with over 70 countries already implementing or developing such plans.
• Sustainable ocean development requires the co-location of industries and nature conservation to ensure climate goals do not compromise biodiversity, as demonstrated by Ørsted's stone reefs in Denmark and Dutch offshore solar and seaweed farms in the North Sea.

APA

Andersen, T. T. (2021). Why meeting the Paris Agreement means managing the ocean. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/e-paris-agreement-ocean-management-sustainable-renewable-energy/

Chicago

Andersen, Thomas Thune. Why meeting the Paris Agreement means managing the ocean. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/e-paris-agreement-ocean-management-sustainable-renewable-energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Andersen |first1=Thomas Thune |title=Why meeting the Paris Agreement means managing the ocean |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=17 August 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/e-paris-agreement-ocean-management-sustainable-renewable-energy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{andersen2021why, author = {Andersen, Thomas Thune}, title = {{Why meeting the Paris Agreement means managing the ocean}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/e-paris-agreement-ocean-management-sustainable-renewable-energy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }