SAS Head of Campaigns & Policy Amy Slack will introduce the Ocean & Climate Emergency petition that launched this spring.
SAS are calling on the UK government to ensure the ocean is at the centre of climate conversations at COP26.
We want all governments of the UK to recognise the importance of a thriving ocean, for the planet and people, and to utilise its capacity as a solution to the climate crisis. We are calling for:
1. OCEAN REWILDING AND BLUE CARBON HABITAT RESTORATION
We want to see an increased investment, and associated targets, in ocean rewilding to allow blue carbon habitats to thrive and actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to achieve negative carbon emissions.
2. IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGHLY PROTECTED MARINE AREAS (HPMAS)
We want to see the implementation of HPMAs to fully protect marine species from human disruption and to allow ecosystems to recover. We need marine areas where deep sea mining is banned, commercial fishing is prevented, oil and gas exploration is ceased and pollution inputs are tightly regulated.
3. RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS FOR HUMAN WELLBEING
We want governments at COP26 to acknowledge the pivotal role the ocean plays in sustaining economies and societal well-being and to ensure protection of coastal communities against the climatic changes we can no longer prevent, such as sea level rise and flooding.