Steffi Lemke is Federal Environment Minister, Hervé Berville is State Secretary to the French Prime Minister and responsible for maritime affairs.
In our fight against the climate crisis and the destruction of nature, we have a powerful ally that is often underestimated: the ocean.
It plays a key role in regulating the climate. It absorbs 90 percent of the additional heat generated by the climate crisis and over 20 percent of man-made CO2 emissions. It provides a home for countless species, provides us with oxygen and serves as a transport route, food source and source of income. It enables international exchange and many leisure activities.
Nevertheless, the ocean is increasingly coming under pressure. We’re just beginning to understand its important functions, while destroying them through global warming, pollution, and other human activities.
The climate crisis is an existential threat. It is causing major changes – rising temperatures, rising sea levels, water acidification, even changing ocean currents.
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This is having a dramatic impact on marine species. Entire marine ecosystems are disappearing, carbon storage is being inhibited.
Rising raw material prices bring the search for resources on the sea floor into focus
In addition, other risks are emerging: Rising raw material prices and increasing demand are increasingly focusing on the extraction of raw materials on the previously untouched seabed. Their mining could further damage the marine environment.
>> Read here: Study: Bottom of the deep sea more contaminated with plastic than assumed
Germany and France are convinced that it would simply not be possible to rule out irreversible damage to marine biodiversity from activities related to deep-sea mining. We believe that the current level of knowledge is not sufficient to make any decisions about deep-sea mining at all.
Therefore, until further notice, we will not support deep-sea mining contracts, either in our waters or outside national jurisdictions. Guidelines for deep-sea mining should be developed with the necessary time and care. Together we therefore want to initiate programs for the exploration of marine ecosystems – with the sole aim of gaining and sharing scientific knowledge.
Today we turn to all countries that have already spoken out in favor of a moratorium or a precautionary break, and also to all those that have not yet done so: Let us implement the precautionary principle consistently – so that we do not do anything that will later bitterly affect humanity regretted.
We are determined to protect the ocean and call on all other countries to join us
Together we can preserve the diversity of marine life. In doing so, we have to act for the benefit of mankind – sometimes perhaps even against immediate economic interests.
We are determined to launch initiatives to protect the ocean.
And have already started: France has placed 33 percent of its marine areas under protection. Under French leadership, at the One Planet Summit in Paris in January 2021, more than 60 countries agreed to protect at least 30 percent of the world’s land and sea surface by 2030. There are now more than 100 states.
Under the German Presidency, the G7 agreed on an Ocean Deal. With its maritime offensive, the Federal Government is giving political weight to the protection of the seas, both nationally and internationally.
Specifically, it is about the development of a new, binding marine strategy, the use of nature-based solutions to the climate crisis and measures to combat environmental pollution and protect biological diversity in the sea.
Nevertheless, it is clear that we must act more ambitiously and go much further. We are committed to a strong outcome from the current World Conference on Nature in Montreal.
The negotiations to protect biological diversity on the high seas, which will take place in New York in February 2023, are also crucial. We want a binding, ambitious treaty that will allow for the designation of new marine protected areas and strictly applies the precautionary principle.
Based on their long, trusting and close friendship, France and Germany are fighting together to protect marine biodiversity. The ocean is humanity’s common heritage. It must be a place of cooperation, sharing and multilateralism.
Governments need to recognize that our actions are having a dramatic impact around the world. We are determined to protect the ocean and call on all other countries to join us.
The authors: Steffi Lemke is Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. Hervé Berville is Secretary of State to the French Prime Minister and responsible for maritime affairs.
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