New Climate Agreement – But the Ocean Was Forgotten

The world has agreed on a climate agreement, but it resembles more a lowest common denominator agreement than a step forward.

The most important thing seems to have been that the oil-producing countries avoided a provision on a ‘roadmap’ for phasing out fossil fuels.

And the ocean – seems to have been completely forgotten.

^{Text: Lena Scherman}

When it came to money, they managed to reach a partial agreement. The rich countries have agreed to triple funding for adaptation, so that vulnerable countries can protect their populations. But the target of around $120 billion was postponed by five years, to 2035.

Deforestation and critical minerals were blocked from the final agreement. But then the chair of COP30, André Corrêa do Lago, pulled off a minor coup that had the plenary hall cheering. When everything was settled and finalised, he added:

‘As President of COP30, I will create two roadmaps. One to halt deforestation and one for a fair and orderly transition away from fossil fuels.’

Many still disappointed

‘It’s a big letdown. COP30 hasn’t managed to come up with a clear plan to phase out fossil fuels – even though science and people all over the world are calling for it. This affects everyone who’s going to have to deal with the increasingly harsh consequences of the climate crisis,’ says Karin Lexén, Secretary General of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, in a press release.

So despite the chair’s little coup, criticism of the failure to mention deforestation in the final text was massive. But where were the voices, the criticism, the demonstrations against the failure to include the oceans in the agreement?

Yes, the ocean is mentioned in one single paragraph, but as part of a list of many different global crises, such as “climate change, loss of biodiversity and degradation of land and oceans in the broader context.”

That we get every other breath from the sea, that it regulates the world’s temperature, binds enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and also covers 70% of our earth.

How is it possible to forget that?