The Joint CEP/SC-CAMLR Workshop on Climate Change and Monitoring was held in Punta Arenas, Chile (19-20 May 2016). A workshop report was prepared by the conveners (Dr Susie Grant and Dr Polly Penhale), and is provided in full below.
The report was discussed at the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP XIX) in Santiago, Chile (23-27 May 2016) (CEP XIX Report, paragraphs 43 to 56), and at WG-EMM-16 in Bologna, Italy (WG-EMM-16 Report, paragraphs 6.8 to 6.28).
The CEP agreed that the joint workshop had been valuable in further enhancing cooperation and information sharing between the two committees on climate change, environmental monitoring, and other matters of mutual interest. It welcomed the report of the joint workshop, and endorsed the recommendations arising. Further information on discussions at the CEP is also provided in SC-CAMLR-XXXV/BG/09.
WG-EMM also agreed that the workshop had been a productive and valuable opportunity to share information and consider issues of common interest. It discussed a range of topics arising from the workshop, including:
- developing further links with SCAR and related programmes (including ICED and SOOS)
- data and information exchange
- development of priority questions in relation to climate change
WG-EMM noted that it does not currently have a climate change agenda item, and therefore recommended that the SC-CAMLR Symposium consider whether and how discussions on climate change might be facilitated in future working group meetings, in order to provide appropriate advice to the Scientific Committee.