[Ecodharma] Does the UN High Seas Treaty offer us hope? [article]

[Kokuu]

Dear all

Following soon after the UN Global Biodiversity Framework at last year's COP15, promising to protect 30% of our planetary land and seas (the 30x30 global potection target), a similar deal, The UN High Seas Treaty, has been made with respect to the oceans outside of national territories.

"Covering almost two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national boundaries, the treaty will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas. It will establish a conference of the parties (Cop) that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/05/high-seas-treaty-agreement-to-protect-international-waters-finally-reached-at-un

The global nonprofit organisation, The Nature Conservancy welcomed the deal, although pointed out that there remain a number of opt out clauses for countries which still offer considerable loopholes. Their lead on ocean policy, Andreas Hansen said:

“A damaging status quo is driving the climate and biodiversity crises facing our world. Armed with the new High Seas Treaty and other key UN policy frameworks, states now have the opportunity to move beyond business-as-usual and into a new, nature-positive era for the relationship between humanity and the ocean that represents our collective life-support system.”

https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/new-high-seas-treaty/

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Tairin]

It’s imperfect but it good to read that some progress is being made.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Naiko]

I wish there were no loopholes to take the teeth out of it, but I am happy to see this.
Thank you for posting.
Gassho,
Naiko
st

[Tokan]

Hi all

I am afraid I am too cynical to believe that this will make much of a difference. I do not believe treaties of this nature change the hearts of the people administering them or operating their economies in opposition to them - the loopholes will be exploited, legal challenges to these exploitations will take decades in the courts, and who will enforce any sanctions should such a case even succeed.

Clauses were also included that allow signatory countries to opt out from MPAs established under the agreement in certain circumstances.

Given the declining health of the ocean and the persistent failure of current systems to tackle the issue, these exemptions represent a major loophole.

I applaud the efforts of those that work within the world systems to bring about any change, they do a fantastic job of challenging these power structures, but it seems humanity continues to apply these things somewhat resentfully, like a child cleaning up their toys after making a huge mess! For me, this is the fundamental problem with all environmental government policies, they are mostly window dressing and might achieve 10% of what they state their targets are.

In my mind we need total global action, meaning that the whole planet has to get on board with the same intent and heartfelt desire to protect our world. I'm thinking that we've had about 20 years of real alarm-bell ringing, with more and more evidence being added to this, so that the alarm bells are hard to ignore but, as a global entity, humans seem to be doing their best to block out the noise, fingers in ears while singing at the top of their voices "nothing to do with me!"

The 'bitty' agreements made by governments so far, from what I can tell, have done nothing to slow down the climate crisis or biodiversity loss, so I personally have little faith in any agreement or treaties made by the UN or any other body. At the end of the day, the UN is there to represent the interests of its members, and it seems mother earth doesn't have a chair at the table.

But to end with a positive, I am always in awe of the dedication of the people who work to evidence climate change. It must be heartbreaking for them at times, but that, I imagine, is balanced with the absolute necessity of doing that work. I hope that one day their work will contribute to the major shift in human behaviour that is required.

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Naiko]

Tokan, it’s often difficult to be optimistic when so much is going wrong and change is so very slow, but progress has been made according to some reports.

We are in a very different place than even 5 to 10 years ago, when the 2015 Climate Accords were signed in Paris that committed the world to under 2 degrees Celsius of warming, and preferably 1.5 degrees. We have already averted the worst-case scenarios that were so alarming around that time. Before 2015, we anticipated four degrees of warming by the end of the century, which, as Klein says, would have been “cataclysmic.” Now we’re on track for just under three, and new climate commitments, if met, would bring us to two.

https://theprogressnetwork.org/have-we-made-any-progress-on-climate-change/

I’m clinging (with no attachment, of course) to any good news.

Gassho,
Naiko
st

[Tokan]

Thanks Naiko

Well I hope this is all true. I don't doubt there are some sincere people within government circles working for real change, but I do feel there is a lot of mistrust of government now. I'm not in the COVID deny'ers camp, there are plenty of other examples that are well evidenced, of our governments covering up their worst mistakes. I recently watched a docuseries on Three Mile Island and that captured really well how it can be difficult to trust power systems. Meanwhile, I keep sitting, taking it all in and letting it all go!

Take care

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Naiko]

Oh, I so agree, it’s difficult to trust, especially when we see things like Biden signing off on new fossil fuel drilling in Alaska when he ran on his commitment to the environment.