Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 2

Committee: United Nations Environmental Programme

Country: France
Topic: Ocean Acidification

Ocean Acidification poses a serious threat to the stability and proper functioning of
marine ecosystems. Since the Industrial era, the acidity level of the ocean has increased by
almost 30%. This is happening at a rate faster than in the last 300 million years. (Chabaud,
Catherine/ 8 June 2017) Due to deforestation, fossil fuel emissions, and other human activities,
larger amounts of carbon dioxide are being released into the air. About one third of the carbon
dioxide released in the atmosphere by anthropogenic activities has been absorbed by the
world's oceans. (Andrew Hudson, 14 March 2017) As a result of this, the pH levels in oceans
have dramatically decreased. When pH levels in the water are lower, the water produces less
calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is an essential mineral to the survival of many marine
species, including oysters, sea urchins, and coral. Ocean acidification is a threat to all nations
that catch or eat fish, or depend on coral reefs for tourism or storm protection. Acidification hurts
not only our planet, but also the people living on it. Around the world, more than one billion
people depend on the ocean for their food supply. This loss of marine life due to acidification
also hurts the economy, as many people around the world rely on the fish and shellfish of the
ocean to make their living.

France is particularly concerned with the threat of acidification, as it is in charge of the


second largest maritime area in the world. France is a member of the International Alliance to
Combat Ocean Acidification. The alliance formally recognizes the urgent need to act on ocean
acidification by investing in research and monitoring, engaging in public outreach and education,
and making serious commitments to reduce carbon emissions to protect the economic and
cultural resources that are at risk in coastal areas around the world. France was a major leader
in the EPOCA, or the European Project on Ocean Acidification. The EPOCA was a research
project that lasted four years. The project was an effort to bring together countries, institutes,
and researchers from all around Europe to gain understanding of all parts of ocean acidification.
They were able to record the changes of ocean chemistry over time, and they looked at how
acidification affected different organisms in the marine ecosystem. They were then able to
evaluate the global risk of ocean acidification. (EPOCA-Project, 2009) In 2016, the Paris
Agreement was signed to take aggressive steps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. As
a part of this agreement, in July of 2017 France’s environment minister Nicolas Hulot
announced the country's five year plan that would ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040.
(Farand, Chloe/ 6 July 2017) Despite the withdrawal of the United States, many countries and
organizations have strongly expressed their readiness to continue implementing the agreement.

As a first step, France wishes to strengthen the understanding and knowledge about this
issue. Implementation of the Paris Agreement in more countries will contribute to not only
mitigating climate change, but also to slowing or even reversing ocean acidification. Reducing
nutrient pollution, like carbon dioxide, through the use of smart agricultural practices, restoring
wetlands, protecting coral reefs and other vital habitats in in marine protected areas, will grow
ecosystem resilience to possible threats, like acidification. (Chabaud, Catherine/ 8 June 2017)
The Delegation of France hopes that other countries will recognize the gravity of this issue and
actively try to gain knowledge on it in hope of finding a solution.

Cited Works
Hudson, Andrew. “Ocean Acidification- What It Means and How to Stop It .” United Nations
Development Programme, 14 Mar. 2017,
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2017/3/14/Ocean-Acidification-What-it-means-
and-how-to-stop-it.html

Chabaud, Catherine. “Ocean Acidification: A Global Issue That Needs Global


Action.”Permanent Mission of France, 8 June 2017,
https://onu.delegfrance.org/Ocean-acidification-a-global-issue-that-calls-for-global-action

Farand, Chloe. “France Will 'Ban All Petrol and Diesel Vehicles by 2040'.” The Independent, 6
July 2017.

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/france-petrol-diesel-ban-vehicles-cars-2040-
a7826831.html

EPOCA. “European Project on OCean Acidification.” EPOCA-Project, 2009.

http://www.epoca-project.eu/index.php/what-do-we-do.html

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi