Paris Agreement only chance for coral reef survival – IUCN
Gland, Switzerland, 22 September 2017 (IUCN) – Limiting global warming to below 2°C in line with the Paris Agreement provides the only chance for the survival of
coral reefs, warns David Obura, Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Coral Reef
Specialist Group, writing today in the journal Science.
Latest data show that globally reefs have a chance of long-term survival if warming is limited to under 2oC, though even
this may be too little too late for many reef systems.
“We are on the doorstep of a world without coral reefs and the only way to avoid this is through the full implementation
of the Paris Agreement,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “We cannot afford to lose these uniquely rich ecosystems which provide food, livelihoods and coastal protection to 500
million people worldwide.”
As well as limiting warming the world must also deal with non-climate threats to reefs, such as pollution and
overfishing, to give them a chance of survival, the Science editorial warns. To tackle these threats, economic systems
must become sustainable and circular, minimising waste as well as emissions, in line with the Sustainable Development
Goals.
“We need urgent global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions if we are to help reefs survive the devastating wave of
coral bleaching we have seen over the last three years, and that will further intensify in the future,” says David Obura. “The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for that action. World leaders must now
stand behind these commitments if coral reefs are to survive the Anthropocene.”
He also points to the need for grassroots and large-scale conservation initiatives throughout the tropics to help ensure
reef survival. Frontier research, such as efforts to accelerate genetic selection towards heat-resistant corals, is also
needed, he writes.
The editorial can be accessed here.