Raising the profile of MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change at COP26

The International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change took part in two high profile events at COP26 to raise the profile of the role of Marine Protected Areas in helping with climate change mitigation and adaptation.

2nd November 2021: ‘An ocean of solutions to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises’

Organised in partnership with the Ocean Climate Platform, this event included high level speakers such as Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean; Andrea Meza, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica; Andrés Couve, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile; Sue Biniaz, Deputy Special Envoy of the President of the United States for Climate Change; Barbara Pompili, French Minister of Ecological Transition; and from the UK the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Colin Galbraith.

The event can be watched here.

6th November 2021: ‘Ocean & Climate Ambition: International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change’

This event, held on the US Event Centre, showcased the Partnership’s progress to date, introduced current and future activities, and provided information on how interested parties can join the Partnership. The event also introduced the first in a series of Blue Carbon in MPAs case studies highlighting key projects from Partner countries.

High level speakers included Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator Dr Richard Spinrad; US Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz; Vice Minister of Water and Seas of Costa Rica Cynthia Barzuna; and Independent Chair of the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee Professor Colin Galbraith.

The event can be watched in full here.