Patricia Ricard: 'ocean awareness must increase faster than sea levels.'

Patricia Ricard, President of the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute, was present at COP23 to Support Ocean Protection Initiatives

The 23rd United Nations Climate Conference (COP23), held in Bonn, Germany, ended last Friday. Less than two years after the Paris Agreement and COP21, negotiators met to implement common climate objectives and underline the current importance of the Ocean cause in the Conference's final declaration.

The Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute, as a member of the Ocean & Climate platform, played an active role in the event. Its President Patricia Ricard spoke at the COP on several occasions as part of the initiatives within civil society.

In her speech on Thursday, November 16, and as part of the launch of the Ocean Pathway Partnership organized by COP23's Fijian presidency, Patricia Ricard stated that, "we live on a third of Planet Earth, and we are surrounded by a global ocean. We are all islanders." The Ocean Pathway Partnership is aimed at reinforcing all stakeholders' mobilization and cooperation to integrate the ocean in all UN climate mechanisms. It represents major progress from this COP, gathering the main platforms and partnerships involved in this issue. As explained by Patricia Ricard, 'by sharing scientific knowledge and highlighting solutions and specific actions, the Ocean Pathway Partnership represents a 'new deal' for oceans. It should allow us to move further and faster, all together.'

Today everyone agrees that oceans play a part in climate regulation. However, it was necessary to wait until the 2015 COP21 in Paris for the word 'ocean' to be mentioned for the first time in a climate agreement. At COP22 in Marrakech an entire day was devoted to negotiating ocean issues. But the ocean had never been so present in the political agenda as this year, with a special IPCC report on the ocean and the cryosphere expected for 2019. In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron said a One Planet summit will be held in Paris on December 12 to discuss the mobilization of actors and financial means in favor of climate action.

Paul Ricard's Oceanography Institute has been working on marine environment protection for over 50 years and contributes to the reinforcement of the ocean's role in climate negotiations. For three years Patricia Ricard, spokesperson of the Ocean and Climate platform, has been speaking at international institutions so that 'ocean awareness increases faster than sea levels.'