Evidence to Policy
Read more blogs from researchers at the University of Southampton navigating the journey between evidence and policy
Sustainable development of oceans - joint action needed to succeed
Sea level rise, acidification of the oceans, eutrophication (the build-up of chemical nutrients), marine pollution from land-based and offshore sources as well as shipping, overfishing and degradation of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems are some of the problems facing the oceans. Less than 2 years ago, in September 2015, states adopted 17 Goals for sustainable development in a decision titled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. This week in New York the “Ocean Conference” aims at building the international partnership for the sustainable development of oceans under Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14). This includes 10 very challenging targets to be achieved under SDG 14 with deadlines in 2020, 2025 or 2030. The outcome for this conference, which is supported by voluntary undertakings by states, is already agreed in the final draft form of a Call for Action. This document was agreed on May 26th 2017, a few days before President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
It calls for a number of actions for combatting marine pollution and degradation of the marine environment, including the development of wide partnerships between states and with stakeholders, promotion of interdisciplinary maritime research and reducing the impact of climate change through the operation of the Paris Agreement. These international declarations are primarily aspirational tools for determining the general direction of policy. No penalties exist under international law for failing to achieve such goals. In fact some of the actions and targets reflect existing robust but unfulfilled state responsibilities under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The principle underpinning such international partnership is 'common but differentiated responsibility'- common for all States, but differentiated according to their needs and developmental status. During the last year the election results in the US and the Brexit vote, both of which prioritise national financial interests over international development, question the way the 'common but differentiated responsibility' principle has been implemented over the past 25 years.
This reflects not only in the measures each state will take but also the support of joint actions. The financial resources required for achieving the sustainable development goals come necessarily from the richer states. In fact developing nations see such financial undertakings, together with transfer of technology, as preconditions for their efficient engagement in such partnerships.
It will be revealing to see whether the US will support in the Ocean Conference the Call of Action in spite of the reference to the Paris Agreement and how much their planned 30% reduction in the environmental research budget will affect oceanic research. Across the Atlantic the future of the management of the North East Atlantic and the North Sea and the consequences for marine research budgets and collaboration in Europe after Brexit pose additional questions. It is clear that in less than two years some of the targets of SDG14 have become significantly more challenging and less likely to be achieved. The best to hope for is that these disruptions will not distract from the implementation of the other still achievable targets and in particular that progress will be made to reduce land-based pollution, a matter which falls squarely within the jurisdiction of each state and which persists only because of national choices for unsustainable practices.
Michael (Mikis) is Professor of Maritime Law and Ocean Sciences at the University of Southampton and the current director of the Institute of Maritime Law.
