[Coral-List] UNFCCC COP24 and updated ISRS statement on climate change and coral reefs

[Sue Wells]

With COP24 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) opening
on 3 December, the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) has updated
its Consensus Statement on climate change and coral reefs, with input from
four of the authors: Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Mark Eakin, Gregor Hodgson, and
Peter Sale.  The new statement
<https://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/2018%20ISRS%20Consensus%20Sta
tement%20on%20Coral%20Bleaching%20%20Climate%20Change%20final_0.pdf>  takes
account of the recently released 2018 Special Report of the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which emphasises the short
time period (12 years) in which effective action needs to be taken.

ISRS is calling on "all nations to implement the Paris Agreement and take
the necessary action, by 2030, to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5oC
above the pre-industrial period".  

Thousands of world leaders, experts, activists, and private sector and local
community representatives will gather during the two week COP24 to work on a
collective action plan to realize critical commitments made in Paris, three
years ago. 184 countries have now ratified the Paris Agreement. COP24 will
have a focus on the increasing number of creative initiatives that are being
developed for addressing the issue of climate change. 
ISRS would like all coral scientists and conservationists to help
disseminate the ISRS statement and its call for action through your
networks, at events and in any practical ways that are available to you.
The consensus statement
<https://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/2018%20ISRS%20Consensus%20Sta
tement%20on%20Coral%20Bleaching%20%20Climate%20Change%20final_0.pdf>  is
also being distributed through the International Coral Reef Initiative
(ICRI) <https://www.icriforum.org/> , which has its annual General Meeting
next week in Monaco.

If you or any of your colleagues are attending COP24, or if you have
contacts at any of the side events, please get in touch with Sue Wells,
Chair, ISRS Conservation Committee (suewells1212 at gmail.com).


Sue Wells
95 Burnside
Cambridge CB1 3PA
Mob: 07905 715552
e-mail: suewells1212 at gmail.com