SDG 14 and the Rio Conventions

SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 14 and the Rio Conventions presents the implementation of the goal, targeting ‘Life under water,’ to be considered in relation to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) on an international scale, highlighting environmental action being taken through related initiatives to protect marine ecosystems within the United Nations. SDG 14 targets safeguarding marine environments with great environmental significance. The Rio Conventions consist of three Multilateral Environmental Agreements, formed during the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992: The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Related initiatives that target SDG 14 within the CBD exemplify the international work and considering of the protection of marine environments in relation to environmental efforts to preserve biodiversity. Related initiatives that target SDG 14 within the UNFCCC exemplify the international work and considering of the protection of marine environments in relation to environmental efforts to targeting revolving around issues of climate change. Related initiatives that target SDG 14 within the UNCCD indirectly exemplifies the international work and considering of the protection of marine environments through management of freshwater environments, in relation to environmental efforts around issues of desertification and land degradation.

Sustainable Development Goal 14

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals consist of 17 global goals within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly. Sustainable Development Goal 14 aims “to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” Effective strategies to mitigate adverse effects of increased ocean acidification are needed to advance the sustainable use of oceans. As areas of protected marine biodiversity expand, there has been an increase in ocean science funding, essential for preserving marine resources.

The deterioration of coastal waters has become a global occurrence, due to pollution and coastal eutrophication (overflow of nutrients in water), where similar contributing factors to climate change can affect oceans and negatively impact marine biodiversity. “Without concerted efforts, coastal eutrophication is expected to increase in 20 per cent of large marine ecosystems by 2050.”

The Preparatory Meeting to the UN Ocean Conference convened in New York, US, in February of 2017, to discuss the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. International law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), stressed the need to include governance instruments to consider “anthropogenic activities taking place outside of the ocean”. Concerns regarding ocean health in destructive fishing practices and marine pollution were discussed, in looking at the role of local communities of small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs) to not forget that oceans are a large part of their economies.

Although many participating United Nations legislative bodies comes together to discuss the issues around marine environments and SDG 14, such as at the United Nations Ocean Conference, it is important to consider how SDG 14 is implemented across different Multilateral Environmental Agreements, respectively. As climate, biodiversity and land degradation are major parts of the issues surrounding the deterioration of marine environments and oceans, it is important to know how each Rio Convention implements this SDG.

Environmental Significance of SDG 14

Characterized by extinctions, invasions, hybridizations and reductions in the abundance of species, marine biodiversity is currently in global decline. “Over the past decades, there has been an exponential increase in human activates in and near oceans, resulting in negative consequences to our marine environment.” Made evident by the degradation of habitats and changes in ecosystem processes, the declining health of the oceans has a negative effect on people, their livelihoods and entire economies, with local communities that rely on ocean resources being the most affected. Poor decisions in resource management can compromise conservation, local livelihood, and resource sustainability goals. “The sustainable management of our oceans relies on the ability to influence and guide human use of the marine environment.” As conservation of marine resources is critical to the well-being of local fishing communities and their livelihoods, related management actions may lead to changes in human behaviour to support conservation programs to achieve their goals. Ultimately, governments and international agencies act as gatekeepers, interfering with needed stakeholder participation in decision making. The way to best safeguard life in oceans is to implement effective management strategies around marine environments.

Climate action is used as a way of protecting the world’s oceans. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface and impact global climate systems through functions of carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere and oxygen generation. The increase in levels of greenhouse gases leading to changes in climate negatively affects the world’s oceans and marine coastal communities. The resulting impacts of rising sea levels by 20 centimeters since the start of the 20^th century and the increase of ocean acidity by 30% since the Industrial Revolution has contributed to the melting of ice sheets through the thermal expansion of sea water.

History of the Rio Conventions

           The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, the Rio Summit, the Rio Conference, and the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro from June 3^rd to 14^th in 1992. The conference was unprecedented and aimed to reassess economic development to preserve natural resources and discuss the problem of pollution. The decision-making process was tailored to promote a sustainable planet for future generations. The key message entailed the idea that changes in behaviour could be the foundation needed for progress toward the desired transformation for the environment. The resulting documentation from the two-week deliberations and meetings included the following: Agenda 21 (a non-binding action plan of the United Nations promoting sustainable development), the Statement of Forest Principles, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the following Conventions were formed: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Goals of the Three Rio Conventions

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

With 196 ratified parties, the Convention on Biological Diversity aims to conserve and protect biodiversity, biological resources and safeguard life on Earth, as an integral part of economic and social development. Considering biological diversity as a global asset to current and future generations and populations across the planet, the Convention works to prevent species extinction and maintain protected habitats. As well, the CBD promotes the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and works to maintain the environmental and sustainable process of access and benefit sharing, derived from genetic resource use.

Established on December 29^th, 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity works to maintain the following three objectives: 

1. “The conservation of biological diversity"
2. "The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity"
3. "The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources”

           The CBD currently follows the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets, used as a vehicle to maintain synergies at National levels. Its mission is to “take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity to ensure that by 2020, ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the planet’s variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty eradication.”

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

With 197 ratified parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is committed to the objective of “[stabilizing] greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.” Following the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and previously the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the UNFCCC Secretariat works to maintain the goals and objectives of the Convention, as the primary United Nations body whose role functions to address the threat of climate change.

The United Nations on Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) functions as an international agreement that ties the sustainability of land management and the issues of land degradation to the environment. Among the areas of consideration, the Convention focuses on restoring degraded ecosystems found in dryland areas. The UNCCD, consisting of 197 parties works towards creating “a future that avoids, minimizes, and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels.”

Legislatively, the UNCCD is committed to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and combat pressing environmental issues of Desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) through a newly created 2018-2030 Strategic Framework, consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development This framework follows the 10-year strategic plan and framework for 2008-2018 that aimed to establish global partnerships in working toward the reversal and prevention of desertification and land degradation. The UNCCD aims to restore the productivity of degraded land, while improving livelihoods and aiding populations that are vulnerable because of environmental destruction. “The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought.”

Implementation of SDG 14 within the Three Rio Conventions

SDG 14 & The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Within the protocols and work of the CBD, in regards to biodiversity, SDG 14 is implemented in the following areas: 

The Convention on Biological Diversity follows a set of Strategic Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets to pursue their mission of sustaining life on earth. Of the twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets, there are three that relate to ocean and marine environments: Target 6, Target 10 and Target 11. These three targets directly relate to SDG 14 and fall under the CBD’s Strategic Goals B: “To reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use,” and C: “To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.”

• Target 6: “By 2020 all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits.”
• Target 10: “By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimized, so as to maintain their integrity and functioning.”
• Target 11: “By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.”

The Sustainable Ocean Initiative

To address the issues related to marine and coastal areas considered in Aichi Targets 6, 10 and 11, the CBD developed the Sustainable Ocean Initiative, which considers the following:

• Capacity gaps – the lack of scientific, technical or institutional resources and poor understanding of cross-sectoral training and managerial processes.
• Issues related to governance – such as miscommunication and poor coordination between and across various levels within governmental agencies.
• Limited information base – poor knowledge management regarding policies necessary for effective decision-making.

SDG 14 & The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Within the protocols and work of UNFCCC, in regards to climate change, SDG 14 is implemented in the following areas: 

The global ocean acts as a major sink, production oxygen by heat absorption, contributing to half of world’s breathable oxygen. The importance of ocean’s as a major contributing factor to sustaining life on earth was highlighted in 2016 at the 43^rd session of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Nairobi, Kenya. As a result, the Strategic Action Roadmap on Oceans and Climate: 2016-2021 was released by Ocean action partners from the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties 22 in 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco. This action plan centers proposes policy recommendations to alleviate the current consequences affecting the environmental areas of ocean chemistry, marine ecosystems and the survival of island communities. Issues related to oceans and climate change include: capacity development, displacement of marine species, financing, adaptation, mitigation and the regulation of climate.

SDG 14 & The United Nations on Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Within the protocols and work of UNCCD, in regards to land degradation and desertification, SDG 14 is not targeted directly, but indirectly through the Convention’s implementation efforts towards achieving SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation. SDG 6’s target 6.6 aims to “protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.” This goal emphasizes the need to improve the management of freshwater ecosystems, similar to the need of management need seen in SDG 14 in terms of preserving biodiversity. In UNCCD’s work toward SDG 6, the Convention practices Sustainable Land Management (SLM) to restore water-related ecosystems to alleviate water scarcity and increase water efficiency globally.

References

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