Enhancing synergies between action on ocean acidification and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Ocean acidification is a substantial emergent threat to marine biodiversity and the goods and services it provides. Although efforts to address ocean acidification have been taken under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a far greater potential to do so exists by finding synergies between biodiversity conservation efforts and ocean acidification action. The ongoing process to develop a post-2020 global biodiversity framework offers an opportunity to ensure that opportunities for addressing ocean acidification are capitalized on and not overlooked. I argue that to achieve this, the following are needed: a technical integration of ocean acidification across the targets to be included in the post-2020 framework and a reframing of the issue as a biodiversity problem so as to highlight the synergies between existing biodiversity work and action needed to address ocean acidification. Given that the post-2020 framework is intended to establish the global biodiversity agenda for the coming decades, integration of ocean acidification will set a precedent for the other biodiversity-related conventions and encourage greater uptake of the issue across the wider international community. My approach is of direct relevance to those participating in the negotiations, both from a CBD Party perspective and the perspective of those advocating for a strong outcome to protect marine biodiversity and marine socioecological systems. My discussion of framing is relevant to those working beyond the CBD within other biodiversity-related conventions in which goals to address ocean acidification are sorely lacking.

Mejoras a las Sinergias entre las Acciones contra la Acidificación Oceánica y el Marco de Trabajo Post-2020 para la Biodiversidad Mundial Resumen La acidificación de los océanos es una amenaza emergente de mucha importancia para la biodiversidad marina y los bienes y servicios que proporciona. Aunque existen esfuerzos para resolver la acidificación oceánica bajo el Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica (CBD), hay un potencial todavía mayor para lograrlo mediante el hallazgo de sinergias entre los esfuerzos por conservar la biodiversidad y las acciones contra la acidificación oceánica. El proceso continuo para desarrollar un marco de trabajo post-2020 para la biodiversidad mundial ofrece una oportunidad para asegurar que se capitalice con las oportunidades para resolver la acidificación oceánica y que no pasen desapercibidas. Argumento que para lograr lo anterior se requiere lo siguiente: una integración técnica de la acidificación oceánica en todos los objetivos a ser incluidos en el marco de trabajo post-2020 y un replanteamiento del tema como un problema de la biodiversidad para poder resaltar las sinergias entre el trabajo existente para la biodiversidad y las acciones necesarias para resolver la acidificación oceánica. Dado que el marco de trabajo post-2020 tiene la intención de establecer la agenda de la biodiversidad mundial para las próximas décadas, la integración de la acidificación oceánica establecerá un precedente para las demás convenciones relacionadas con la biodiversidad y potenciará una mayor respuesta al tema en toda la comunidad internacional. Mi estrategia es de relevancia directa para aquellos que participan en las negociaciones, tanto desde la perspectiva de un participante de la CBD como desde la de alguien abogando por un resultado sólido para proteger a la biodiversidad marina y los sistemas socioecológicos marinos. Mi discusión del planteamiento es relevante para aquellos que trabajan más allá de la CBD dentro de otros convenios relacionados con la biodiversidad en donde los objetivos para resolver la acidificación oceánica son muy escasos.

Taking action against ocean acidification: a review of management and policy options.

Ocean acidification has emerged over the last two decades as one of the largest threats to marine organisms and ecosystems. However, most research efforts on ocean acidification have so far neglected management and related policy issues to focus instead on understanding its ecological and biogeochemical implications. This shortfall is addressed here with a systematic, international and critical review of management and policy options. In particular, we investigate the assumption that fighting acidification is mainly, but not only, about reducing CO2 emissions, and explore the leeway that this emerging problem may open in old environmental issues. We review nine types of management responses, initially grouped under four categories: preventing ocean acidification; strengthening ecosystem resilience; adapting human activities; and repairing damages. Connecting and comparing options leads to classifying them, in a qualitative way, according to their potential and feasibility. While reducing CO2 emissions is confirmed as the key action that must be taken against acidification, some of the other options appear to have the potential to buy time, e.g. by relieving the pressure of other stressors, and help marine life face unavoidable acidification. Although the existing legal basis to take action shows few gaps, policy challenges are significant: tackling them will mean succeeding in various areas of environmental management where we failed to a large extent so far.