Sailing Into the Unknown?: A Voyage from Conservation to Science to Policy, With No End in Sight

BY KRISTEN MCNAMARA

A thick cloud shrouded the city of Madrid and the plane I was aboard ambled through it, landing amongst the fog. It was a funny feeling. Normally I choose to sit on the window seat so that I can survey a new city from afar, making observations about it before I arrive. Today however, the fog had prevented my pre-landing analysis of Madrid and in some ways this set the scene for what I was about to experience. Nothing could have prepared me for the most seminal intergovernmental discussions about climate change; the UNFCCC 25th Conference of the Parties (COP).

I was chosen to attend the COP as an Australian youth delegate, representing the University of Melbourne and an NGO called Global Voices. As a young individual interested in fair governance of marine resources, I was given the opportunity to take part in the largest intergovernmental conference that discusses the state of our natural ecosystems, how climate change is affecting them and their inhabitants. Ultimately it is the global representation of collaborative effort to reduce emissions in order to mitigate climate change. This year’s meeting was coined the “Blue COP”, with a specific focus on marine resources. Additionally, ambition for this year’s COP was aligned with finalising the framework and legislation behind the Paris Agreement, due to take effect this year. The tagline, as I would see plastered around the conference over the course of the week, was “#tiempodeactuar” - Time for Action. However, if you ask me, the time to take action in protecting marine ecosystems and all ecosystems for that matter, passed long ago.

Taking a breather between sessions at COP25!

But how did I get here? As someone passionate about marine conservation, there are many scenarios by which you can channel your passion for the oceans. You can volunteer for a local organisation and help educate your community. You can take to the streets and implore your leaders for stronger action towards protecting our marine resources. You can participate in field projects, gather data and raise awareness about the plight of marine species that are disappearing before your very eyes. 

You can simply spend time amongst the ocean, feeling it wash away the anxieties that you share with many others in your field. “It’s okay my child, rest now, feel safe,” she says as her slipstreams cradle you, her salt keeps you afloat and her waves fill your ears with sweet lullabies. 

But you cannot rest and the worry mounts. You watch these fragile ecosystems fall apart in a matter of months. Coral bleaching. Seagrass dying. Sea turtle nests inundated by king tides.

The ocean swings from her soothing charm to wrath and despair. She picks up dead coral and deposits it onto the eroded beaches, for all to see. “Look at what you’re doing to me, help me, heal me” she pleads. 

You watch the faces of coastal communities turn to dread after another storm ravages the coastline. A few minutes is spent gazing with melancholy expressions over the damage. But sooner rather than later, people become busy fixing a compounded roof or sweeping out a flooded restaurant. They must get on with the day, there’s no time to waste. But this seems to happen more and more, and you wonder how many nails can hold a structure together before the wind tears it apart for good. And the ocean, she vies for your attention. “Listen to me. I cannot go on like this”. Nor can these communities, for there is no fishing business or tourism industry on a dead reef. 

These are some of the experiences I’ve had in marine conservation, but after a few years in the field I grew frustrated. From my point of view coastal communities are the ones being affected by the dire straits that marine ecosystems face, and they’ve had very little contribution to the transboundary crisis that is climate change.

This is why I decided to pursue my post-graduate studies focused on Oceans Governance and is how I found myself at COP25 in Madrid. I was completely out of my element, like a fish out of water. Almost 27,000 of the globe’s most passionate actors in the climate change space hurried around me and I felt unsteady, like I had sea legs. Originally planned to be held in Chilé, president Sebastián Piñera had announced just five weeks earlier that the talks could not be held in Santiago due to the civil unrest that continues to unfold. Even without many who could no longer attend the conference, it was hard to fathom the roles of each of the tens of thousands around me. But as passionate scientists, business folk, indigenous people, activists, youth representatives and bureaucrats buzzed about I could get a sense of just how complex the realm of multilateral governance is.

The COP is essentially split into two sections; the negotiations and the pavilions. The negotiations are where representatives from the governments of nations discuss global ambitions to mitigate the effects of climate change in different contexts. One stream focused on the inclusion of Oceans in the climate change dialogue, while another addressed the emerging industry of carbon markets. Another negotiation I attended delved into how gender equality would be pursued under conditions of climate change. In another room, nations debated whether common time-frames could apply to national plans for decarbonisation, which was understandably a contentious discussion between developed and developing nations.

Across the hall inside the pavilions however, it was easy to feel as though I’d been transported somewhere completely different. Countless participants showcased their hard work and innovation amongst expert panels, flashy presentations and sessions that went late into the evening followed by opportunities to network afterwards. This was much like any other conference I’d been to, except participants here desperately hoped that their concerns would be reflected in the final UN-branded outcome text of the conference. I was innately drawn to the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, where many presentations about my pacific neighbours took place. Though I felt closer to home here, representatives from Australia, a so-called “leader” in the Pacific were few and far between. While I was there a surreal feeling washed over me, like what happens when I’m many metres underwater. For a few moments I was swallowed by the conference and found myself in hypothetical conversations about bottomless economic and social losses due to the effects of climate change, and how to respond to these. Amongst firm handshakes and behind smiles plastered across our faces, a collective fear lurked deep within about our reasons for actually being here.

We were able to meet with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) who are the ones negotiating on behalf of Australia at the COP. In this setting we were able to voice our concerns that there is no official capacity for young people to be included in decision-making processes, something which we believe should shift in the future. We also collectively raised concerns about the lack of representation of young Indigenous Australians and that ultimately, fair future governance should reflect our society so that all voices are heard.

As the Blue COP, marine resources were hotly contested. From the fishing industry that teeters on the edge of collapse, to the protection of carbon sequestering coastal ecosystems, from the tips of permafrost continuously exposing themselves, to indigenous peoples and pacific island populations being displaced by rising sea levels and severe weather events. It seemed the ocean had finally received its rightful place on the global stage. But I couldn’t help but wonder whether this had all come too late.

I could sense that the heightened interest in marine resources was largely due to the economic opportunities contained within. Take deep sea mining, for example. Those advocating for the industry remind us that we are fast running out of terrestrial resources, and that the rare elements found amongst the seabed are necessary to advance and fulfil our requirements for green technologies. Even if this is true, we still know very little about how pillaging the seafloor would affect our deep-sea ecosystems. At an inter-generational dialogue with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Hon Patricia Scotland, there was an opportunity for young people to voice their concerns regarding the issues we feel are important to the oceans. I spoke about the grave concerns that we as youth have with regards to the commodification of marine resources. Beyond the monetary benefits of “blue” industry, we must consider the socio-cultural and ecological qualities provided by the ocean that add value and richness to our lives. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) specifically focused on the Oceans and Cryosphere, with the world’s leading scientists raising many concerns for our water-based ecosystems. Yet the compelling evidence presented in the report was simply “noted” in the final outcome text of the COP, inferring that further dialogues and discussions would be held in due course. Though it is encouraging that the oceans are receiving some much-needed attention, many times I raised the question, if it is Time for Action, where is the action?

Throughout the week I grew even more confused about the outcomes of the negotiations and increasingly disparaged that anything was actually being agreed upon. States could not reach agreement on many crucial points of this year’s agenda, and as a result the continuing negotiations were postponed until next year’s conference. The voice of youth resonated throughout the halls, reminding our leaders not to bully one another, and that cooperation is key. Make no mistake that as a young person, I understand how difficult it is to reach consensus at the level of multilateral governance. It is fair to say that no decision is better than a bad decision. But as the week wore on, it was the youth desperately trying to convey the motto of Time for Action in even more candid terms and that was, “We don’t have time”. 

Throughout the week I was reminded that representatives from nation states were simply toeing the party line of their respective government. I appreciated the sentiment, that they must represent the priorities of their respective nations. But if everybody truly understood how some nations insist on using convoluted transparency and accounting techniques to disguise their lack of ambition towards reducing emissions, I doubt this rhetoric would be received very well.

Many participants at the conference understood this and protests ensued. It was clear that everyone yearned for the outcomes of the COP to reflect transformative action to mitigate climate change, but as the days wore on this appeared to be increasingly out of reach. People were almost banging at the door of negotiations, pleading for agreement and co-operation, which was seemingly falling on deaf ears. Back at home, the country was ablaze yet the representatives from my government held firm in their position to use sneaky tactics to account for our emissions throughout years to come. The Climate Action Network awarded Australia an award called the “Fossil of the Day” and gave the nation a score of zero regarding Climate Policy. I was proud to be a young female representative, but this was no place to be a proud Australian.  

At the end of the week, the young people at COP staged a protest in the main conference hall. Without a doubt, this was the only time I felt cooperation of nation states was evident. We sat and cheered and shouted. “What do we want? Climate Justice! When do we want it? Now!” Young people from all nations with their own concerns and fears for the planet sang and yelled, hoping the negotiators would hear us. I wiped tears of desperation from my eyes but looking around, I realised I needn’t be embarrassed. I wasn’t the only one crying. 

My fellow youth delegates and I from Global Voices (L-R: Myself, Elyssia, Anna and Ben). By this stage of the week we were less inclined to take things all that seriously. Oh, and who doesn’t love a solid man-spread?

I’m not quite sure what to make of the conference, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Despite the UN’s purpose for all of humanity to live a sustainable and fulfilling life, the UNFCCC seems to harbour global politics beyond climate change. This has led to roadblocks and bitter impressions of one another. As countries refused to cooperate I could see nerves and frustrations swelling in even the most instrumental members of the UNFCCC. Are there enough harmonious relationships in the regime to outweigh so many tumultuous ones? Are we becoming completely disillusioned in the capability of multilateral governance at a time when we need it the most? And what can be said for the Ocean, as she spews back waste and wildlife with bellies full of plastic on our shores?

I shudder to think what the collapse of the UN’s role in mitigating climate change would mean for us and our marine ecosystems. But if the voice of youth at this year’s COP was anything to go by, I maintain hope for our future leaders and will channel my frustrations into the coming years. We understand what the ocean is trying to tell us; there is no time.