ICOMIA Climate Change Policy Paper and Letter of Declaration

ICOMIA acknowledges that the climate is changing and the evidence is unequivocal. In order to mitigate the threats and risks associated with climate-related events, we must support countermeasures to the rising challenge of climate change and build upon the current sustainable environmental practices. This paper outlines the background, the threats and risks, the increasing global concern, and proposes a call to action.

Download the Climate Change Policy Paper

Download the Letter of Declaration

ICOMIA Overview of climate change actions in the leisure marine industry

The ICOMIA Climate Change Working Group has put together an overview of actions that are being taken across the ICOMIA membership to address climate change. This overview is a living document which includes summaries of responses received from national marine industry associations (MIAs) in early 2022, as well as other noteworthy sustainability initiatives. Download the document here.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

The IPCC prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about knowledge of climate change, its causes, potential impacts and response options. The IPCC also produces Special Reports, which are an assessment of a specific issue and Methodology Reports, which provide practical guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories.

IPCC Reports can be found here.

Reports that may be of particular relevance include:

• Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate 
• Global Warming of 1.5 degrees C” special report
  
• The Working Group III report provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges and examines the sources of global emissions. It explains developments in emission reduction and mitigation efforts, assessing the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long-term emissions goals.
• Shifting perspectives on coastal impacts and adaptation
• Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change
• The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change – Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptations and Vulnerability 
• The Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science – Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis  

The German Advisory Council on Global Change 

The German Advisory Council on Global Change is an independent advisory body which provides scientific policy advice to the German Government. It regularly publishes reports on a variety of issues to do with global change, ocean governance and sustainability.

Download ‘Climate change: Why 2C?’.

Ecosystem Management: The Need to Adopt a Different Approach Under a Changing Climate

Authors at the United Nations Environmental Programme have written a paper asking: Do we need to fundamentally change course to conserve ecosystems in a changing climate? Do we need to adopt a fundamentally different approach to conserving ecosystems and their services in a changing climate? Download the report here.

PIANC – Climate Change

One of PIANC’s strategic objectives for the future is concerned with climate change mitigation and adaptation. Take a look at their climate change intiatives here.

Some of the relevant PIANC reports include:

• Managing Climate Change Uncertainties in Selecting, Designing and Evaluating Options for Resilient Navigation Infrastructure (2022)
• Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Ports and Inland Waterways (2020)
• Towards a Sustainable Waterborne Transportation Industry (2011)

PIANC – Working with Nature

Working with Nature, which is explained in a PIANC Position Paper, calls for an important shift in thinking in our approach to navigation development projects to help deliver mutually beneficial, ‘win-win’ solutions. It promotes a proactive, integrated philosophy which focuses on achieving the project objectives in an ecosystem context rather than assessing the consequences of a predefined project design and focuses on identifying win-win solutions rather than simply minimising ecological harm. For more information click here.