Vancouver – In response to the Liberal Party’s election commitment that they intend to protect 25% of Canada’s oceans and lands by 2025, Sarah King Greenpeace Canada’s Head of Oceans and Plastic campaign, said:
“The Liberals announcement to protect 25% of Canada’s oceans and lands by 2025 is a solid step towards where all parties ultimately need to be aiming for – protecting at least 30% by 2030. But what we’ve not heard about from the Liberals or other parties is whether they also support protecting 30% of the global oceans by 2030, a scientific recommendation with growing support by world leaders, as we have seen this week with the UK government announcing a coalition of countries that have joined a “Global Ocean Alliance” calling for protecting at least 30% of Global oceans by 2030.
With the recent IPCC special report on oceans and cryosphere revealing our worst fears that the climate crisis is an oceans crisis, it’s crucially important for countries to secure a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the UN this spring. Healthy oceans can help mitigate against climate change, and we need a Treaty that paves the way for raising protection on the high seas from an abysmal 1% to a necessary 30%, urgently. We want to know if leaders will back 30% protection beyond Canada’s waters.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on the Oceans and Cryosphere highlights that the fragmentation of bodies ruling over different areas of the sea is an issue for effective protection of marine life. Greenpeace and other groups calling for a strong Global Oceans Treaty enforce that it is essential to give the Conference of Parties, a widely agreed upon body, the power to create ocean sanctuaries and the teeth to ensure they are respected by the international community. The IPCC report and a growing body of science confirms that protected areas are essential to safeguard marine ecosystems in changing oceans to build resilience and allow for adaptation. The report also notes the devastating and often irreversible impacts to marine life the climate breakdown has contributed to.
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See also our Press Release on the IPCC report
For more information, please contact:
Marie-Christine Fiset, Head of Media, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected]; +1 514 972-6316
Discussion
Sadly and ironically the super powers combined spend Billions on war toys of DESTRUCTION. When all of this money or Majority of it,should be spent on protecting the most precious thing we all need and Share. PLANET EARTH .
All the super powers of the world spend BILLIONS each year on Destruction. When the majority or all of this money should be spent on protecting and taking care of the most Precious thing we all Share and Need. Planet Earth !