Thursday, delegates from more than 70 nations gathering at the World Ocean Conference in Indonesia called for oceans to be included on the agenda of global climate-change talks to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, reports say.
Under the non-binding Manado Ocean Declaration, ministers and officials urged a co-ordinated action to reverse the impact of climate-change on the oceans and for the issue to be included in crucial climate talks in the Danish capital of Copenhagen in December.
The declaration calls for reducing ocean-pollution, funding for sustainable development in Third World countries, greater research into how climate-change affects oceans and the role oceans play in fighting climate-change.
However, the declaration contained no specific commitments for funding or emission targets, and was criticized by some scientists as too weak to combat likely devastating rises in the sea level, and the destruction of key species.
U.S. delegation head Mary Glackin said the declaration represented a political commitment by participating governments to address the common questions of sea-level rises, ocean-acidification, changing weather patterns and other climate-related phenomena.
RTT News, 15 May 2009. Article.
