Meeting Highlights

And on that high note, it's time for us to bring the second edition of the Virtual Ocean Dialogues to a close.

If you're hungry for more high-level discussions on how to save the planet, then join us tomorrow for Climate Breakthroughs: The Road to COP26 and Beyond.

We'll bring you six livestreamed sessions throughout the day focusing on the solutions needed to achieve a net-zero world before it's too late.

In the meantime, thanks for joining us for #OceanDialogues. Goodnight!

Some important news before this year's Virtual Ocean Dialogues comes to a close.

Global leaders across a range of sectors have signed the Ocean Super Year Declaration, calling for action for urgent action to protect the health of the ocean in what is a crucial year for global climate events, including the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in November, among others.

“This extraordinary group of ocean leaders is highlighting a once-in-a-generation opportunity this year, and the great responsibility that lies in the hands of decision-makers to take bold, ambitious and game-changing ocean decisions in many of the upcoming pivotal meetings and summits,” said Kristian Teleki, Director of Friends of Ocean Action.

You can read the declaration in full here.

There were so many great soundbites from today's session on ocean-based climate solutions and how the ocean can play a key role at this year's COP26 meeting in Glasgow.

There's a detailed recap of the session below, and here's a few more choice quotes:

Zac Goldsmith, Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom (DEFRA), reeled off a number of great stats on the amazing ways the ocean regulates our climate.

Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC warned that a warming ocean would lead to displacement and suffering.

To protect our ocean and deliver on the climate goals, we need to deliver two key steps, said Gonzalo Muñoz, Conference of the Parties (COP) Champion for Chile, COP25 High Level Climate Champions.

Cherie Nursalim, Vice-Chairman, GITI Group, said off the coast of Bali, sardine stock has collapsed, endangering local communities.

Waldemar Coutts, Director for Environment and Oceans, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, said one of the best solutions for the ocean is to create Marine Protected Areas.

"Having a healthy and living ocean can ultimately result in more food, less ocean carbon emissions and continued support for the millions that depend on the ocean for their livelihoods and culture," write Alfredo Giron-Nava and Anastasia Quintana in their article for our #OceanDialogues blog collection.

However, how can we ensure that ocean protection is equitable and inclusive?

Take a look at the full article here: 3 ways to ensure ocean protection is equitable and inclusive

Nations will convene in Glasgow this November for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), a critical juncture in the world’s fight against climate change. Since the last conference in Paris, awareness of the ocean’s potential and importance as a tool for climate mitigation and adaption has grown immensely.

In this session, panellists discussed how the potential of marine nature-based climate solutions could be unleashed and how countries could incorporate these into their nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Elizabeth Cousens, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation, opened by saying that while the ocean is being affected by climate change, it is also the source of solutions, from offshore renewable energy to protected areas.

Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said COP26 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity because "we want to rebuild trust in multilateralism and engage all sectors and individuals, to really turn the corner and get to the tipping point of positive climate action".