Climate change and the Southern Ocean: “Code Red” for CCAMLR

CCAMLR is in a leadership position with respect to the international community and the global biosphere when it comes to climate action in the Southern Ocean, and CCAMLR’s climate action should reflect that responsibility. In practice, there is a considerable mismatch between the urgency of addressing climate change and the pace of climate action in the Southern Ocean. In this paper ASOC makes recommendations to CCAMLR to improve its climate action record including:

• agreeing to a revised CCRWP for CCAMLR during the 2021 Scientific Committee meeting, including agreeing to a timeline to ensure full implementation of the CCRWP by 2030;
• establishing a subsidiary group in 2021 to provide annual policy advice to CCAMLR on climate change, including with respect to fisheries management, spatial protections, and any other climate issues as they arise.