Environment: what should we remember from the “One Ocean Summit” in Brest?
Penguins in Adélie Land, in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), in 2018. © TESSIER Ewan/wikimedia
Text by: Géraud Bosman-Delzons Follow
8 mins
Ahead of the One Ocean Summit, Emmanuel Macron promised a "summit of commitments".
There have been, but it remains at the stage of declarations of intent.
For the implementation, it will still have to wait.
And this is what NGOs and African heads of state regret.
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From our special correspondent in Brest,
■
What decisions were made?
None concretely, but that was
not the objective set either
.
Rather, it was about instilling strong political ambition ahead of a crucial year for the ocean, largely forgotten in recent decades.
No agreements or treaties therefore, but rather declarations of intent, coalitions that are emerging or expanding with a view to future negotiations.
In other words, things are progressing at diplomatic paces.
The first announcement is the creation of a coalition of 27 States (the EU) + 13 other countries to weigh in favor of the High Seas Biodiversity Preservation Treaty which has been negotiated at the UN for several years and including a new session opens in March.
This coalition calls for its "
adoption
" from "
this year
", a still ambitious goal according to observers.
But a coalition of states always means more weight in the negotiations.
Answer next month in New York.
The second relates to the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People launched at the One Planet Summit in January 2021. Thirty new states pledge to protect 30% of their territories in 2030. They are now 84 to have joined a coalition which must again weigh in the negotiations which must be held at the COP specially dedicated to biodiversity this year.
Also noteworthy is Emmanuel Macron's call for an end to public subsidies for overfishing and illegal fishing, a subject already under discussion at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Progress also on the plastic pollution side.
Several European banks, including the French Development Agency, are doubling the fund (the Clean Oceans Initiative) dedicated to this fight, from two to four billion dollars.
Finally, concrete decisions this time have been announced for two French overseas territories.
The main one concerns the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, in the southern Indian Ocean, with the extension of its national nature reserve which has become the second largest marine protected area in the world with more than 1.5 million km2.
The objective of classifying 30% of French land and sea areas as protected areas has thus been exceeded.
Another advance, in French Polynesia.
The first consists of the “
strong protection
” of an area of 500,000 km2.
The second is the creation of exclusive artisanal fishing zones, also over an area of 500,000 km2, around each of the 118 islands of Polynesia before the end of this year.
Industrial fishing as well as mining will be prohibited there.
Finally, on the scientific level, Unesco plans that 80% of the seabed will be mapped by 2030, against only 20% at the moment.
■
How do NGOs react?
The NGOs interviewed did not hide their "
disappointment
" on the last day of the summit.
In a press release, Greenpeace France regrets “
international political declarations which remain vague on many subjects.
At a time of climate emergency and the collapse of marine biodiversity, this summit confirms the global objective of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030 and the interest in a treaty on the high seas, but fails to explain the means of its implementation.
Another criticism: the lack of new commitments.
"
A lot of things have been repeated
," says François Chartier.
This Friday morning, a few hundred activists gathered a little outside the center, far from the very secure place of the summit.
Several NGOs, led by Greenpeace, have denounced in unison a "
blue washing operation
" by Emmanuel Macron and his "
double discourse
" on the oceans, liberal on the one hand, environmental herald on the other, two incompatible facets according to the associations.
►Read also: One Ocean Summit, NGOs remain unsatisfied and denounce “
blue washing
”
France's President Emmanuel Macron, center left, poses with heads of states for a family picture before the Hight Level Segment session of the One Ocean Summit, in Brest, Brittany, Friday Feb.
11, 2022. World leaders are trying to save the planet's oceans in talks on France's Atlantic coast, aimed at fighting overfishing and plastic pollution, and finding fairer ways to manage the seas.
(Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) AP - Ludovic Marin
France's President Emmanuel Macron, center left, poses with heads of states for a family picture before the Hight Level Segment session of the One Ocean Summit, in Brest, Brittany, Friday Feb.
11, 2022. World leaders are trying to save the planet's oceans in talks on France's Atlantic coast, aimed at fighting overfishing and plastic pollution, and finding fairer ways to manage the seas.
(Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) AP - Ludovic Marin
Finally, on the French Polynesia side, Jérôme Petit, of the Pew and Bertarelli foundation, which works to preserve the oceans, says he is very "
happy with this day
" because of "
two big successes
".
"
It's a great day for the health of the ocean, because France has created one of the largest marine protected areas in the world by decree in the French Southern Territories
", an area which will be "
sustainably protected
", in at least the law.
He is also delighted for Polynesia and these future exclusive artisanal fishing zones, “
a major step forward at the ecological, economic and human level
”.
As for the strong protection zones, "
a surprise
", he is delighted to see that "
France is now following the recommendations of scientists
”.
"
France is doubling its highly protected waters, increasing them from 1.6 to 4%
".
However, we remain far from the 10% which should have been reached by 2022 and which have been postponed to 2030.
In general, “
the statements are going in the right direction,
concedes François Chartier, Oceans campaign manager at Greenpeace France.
But it is now necessary to go further: we expect concrete measures on conservation and governance mechanisms.
»
As during the Climate Conferences, two temporalities are once again colliding at this summit: that, inevitably long and tedious, of international diplomacy and state interests against that, pressing, of the expectations of civil societies and the - climatic countdown.
■
African leaders call for action
“
There is an urgent need to act for the oceans.
This is the message conveyed by the half-dozen African heads of state and government who made the trip to Brest, reports our special envoy to Brest,
Anthony Lattier
.
The continent is particularly affected by the degradation of resources and marine biodiversity, particularly due to pollution and illegal fishing.
This is why the President of Ghana Nana Akufo Ado does not want to be satisfied with fine words and calls for strong measures: “
We came here not only to make commitments,
he declares.
It is obviously important that States commit themselves, but what is even more important is what they are going to do to ensure that these commitments are implemented.
»
The Heads of State of Gabon, Ali Bongo, and of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, spoke on video.
The President of Tanzania Samia Soulhouhou is also waiting to see what the countries of the North are actually proposing.
“
We are ready to protect the oceans, but the efforts must be shared
,” she explains.
As is often the case at these environmental summits, the countries of the South are expressing weariness and anger at the lack of action by major polluters.
So to move these issues forward, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi invites everyone to COP27, which he will host in November.
►
One Ocean Summit in Brest: Africa forgotten, Africa plundered?
■
What political assessment for Emmanuel Macron?
Emmanuel Macron continues the momentum initiated at the start of his mandate: to appear at the forefront of climate defense on the international scene.
It does not matter that its record at the national level is criticized, it does not matter that the results of this summit are a little meager, this meeting allowed it - as during the previous One Planet Summits - to display its voluntarism in terms of ecology. .
Emmanuel Macron declined the calendar of the major meetings of the year on the agenda of the oceans.
He projected himself as if there was no presidential election in two months or that his re-election was just a formality.
He is not a candidate, but lets it be understood in an interview granted this Friday evening to the regional daily
Ouest-France
: “
The official campaign begins at the beginning of March.
“
Everything in its time
,” he said after the summit.
For its part, civil society criticized throughout this summit the very political calendar of this summit.
If we give ourselves the means, we can make historic decisions
Emmanuel Macron in Brest for the One Ocean Summit
Anthony Latier
■
What are the next steps?
The One Ocean Summit was intended to be the first milestone in a year rich in international events dedicated to the ocean, biodiversity and climate, three distinct but interconnected environmental issues.
As early as March, for example, the United Nations Special Assembly for the Environment, in Nairobi (Kenya), could lead to a binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Without forgetting the COP15 biodiversity in China (July) and finally the COP27 in Egypt (November).
The next stage concerning the ocean specifically, highly anticipated, will be played in New York at the beginning of March.
Technically, this is the fourth "round" of negotiations on the treaty for the protection of biodiversity on the high seas (known as BBNJ).
An agreement could see the light of day, but observers are counting on a fifth session instead... The United Nations conference on the oceans in Lisbon will follow (June).
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