3 Mankler Notes

30TH BSPC: THIRD SESSIONClimate change and biodiversitySpeaker: Mr Anders Mankler, State Secretary to the Minister for Environment andClimate, SwedenDistinguished members of parliament, colleagues, representatives from NGO’s andthe science community.I would like to start by thanking the convenors of this seminar for the opportunity to adialogue and knowledge exchange on these pressing issues.As the IPCC made clear in their latest report, climate change and its effects on waterand seas are facts and global threats.Climate change will certainly have significant negative impacts on the marineecosystems.On the other hand, we cannot solve the climate crises without healthy, sustainablyused and well protected oceans as a healthy ocean absorbs both carbon dioxide andheat. Strengthening the nexus between the ocean, biodiversity and climate change istherefore a priority for Sweden.The situation is grave. We must find the strength to accelerate our efforts We mustwork harder to make faster progress. Remembering the words of the IPCC - ”theclimate we experience in the future depends on our decisions now” – we must bebrave.I don’t think it has escaped anyone that water plays a critical role in both mitigation ofand adaptation to climate change. This has been made all too clear during this summerof extreme weather. Forest fires, floods and extreme heat waves leading to healthrisks, severe damage to property and ecosystems show how vulnerable we alreadyare to climate change.So, it is crucial that we work with climate change adaptation and increasing theresilience, also of the marine ecosystems.Efforts for a healthy climate go hand in hand with efforts for healthy oceans. Forexample, to be able to preserve biological diversity in the sea, we need an ambitiousclimate policy. At the same time, resilient and healthy seas contribute to the absorptionof large amounts of carbon dioxide – acting as a lever making other climate measuresmore effective.The Baltic is our shared sea. And our shared responsibility. A well functioningcooperation around the Baltic is central both in handling urgent pressures, but also incontributing to the resilience of the ecosystems and welfare in the long term.Ladies and gentlemen,Climate, biodiversity and protection of the BalticWe are all aware that climate change will have significant negative impacts on marineecosystems. Higher temperatures will result in less dissolved oxygen, decreasedsalinity and risk for higher input of nutrients. The rising carbon dioxide concentration inthe atmosphere leads to increased ocean acidification, which is also a threat to severalspecies in the food web.We also need urgent action for more resilient ecosystems in coastal areas and in thesea.To achieve that – we will need to continue to strengthen our measures and efforts toimprove the health and resilience in the Baltic in several fields.We need to continue the establishment of a representative, well connected and wellmanaged network of marine protected areas (MPAs) throughout the Baltic. We needto climate proof the MPAs and focus on carbon rich habitats as seagrass-beds andalso areas that can become climate refuges for vulnerable species.Sweden stresses the need for an ambitious global target of at least 30 percent marineprotection within the negotiations at the UN convention on biodiversity regarding thepost-2020 framework for biodiversity.The situation for several fish-stocks in the Baltic, in particular cod and herring, isalarming, even if most stock are fished according to the goal of maximum sustainableyield. We need to implement an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries managementthat also takes into account the effects and interlinkages of fisheries and fish stockswith the rest of the ecosystem.We have all seen the severe negative effects o eutrophication. So we must continueour efforts to reach the goals set by HELCOM to reduce the inputs of both phosphorusand nitrogen to the Baltic.HELCOM is an important basis for our efforts to reach these goals [and many others],and an ambitious new Baltic Sea Action Plan will be.Our cooperation in HELCOM is also crucial to foster a common view among us - thecountries around the Baltic sea - when it comes to both problems and suitablesolutions.In achieving the goals, work in the EU will also be of importance: the Marine StrategyFramework Directive, the Water Framework Directive as well as the EU strategy forthe Baltic Sea region.Science is of course a crucial basis for efficient measures and innovative solutions.Sweden therefore supports and engages in the UN decade of Ocean Science forsustainable development. This is an unique occasion to pool our resources to increaseour knowledge also of the Baltic and engage stakeholders in that work. It is essentialto educate also our young of the value of the Baltic and how much we all depend onhealthy oceans.In regard to science, also here HELCOM has a crucial role with the work in the manyexpert groups advancing the knowledge base constantly and considerably.Ladies and gentlemen,Water is a cross-cutting issue, so it is crucial to involve all relevant stakeholders tocreate understanding, ownership and participation. Local involvement is a prerequisitefor finding new.The quality of our water around the globe will be, and is already, changing. Undesirableeffects will be even worse if we do not reach our ambitions on mitigation and adaptationmeasures.Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and fulfilling the promises ofthe Paris agreement are crucial building blocks to overcome the multiple crises ourworld is facing. The direction must be the same, across all sectors and organisationsof our societies. It is obvious we need the courage and strength to act now.In this context, the international meeting Stockholm+50 that Sweden will host in June2022 presents a great opportunity. While commemorating the 50 years since the 1972United Nations Conference on the Human Environment our vision is to engage allstakeholders and focus on how we, together, can accelerate implementation to deliveron the 2030 Agenda and foster sustainable recovery from COVID-19, inclusively anduniversally, leaving no one behind.We see Stockholm+50 as an essential contribution to keeping the 1.5 degreegoal alive. By engaging all relevant stakeholders, including business, the scientificcommunity and youth, Stockholm+50 could be a stepping-stone to catalyse necessarytransformative actions for a system change on all levels.In closing, I hope you will have fruitful and productive discussions here today on theseimportant topics. We all have important and complimentary roles to play. Actors at thelocal, regional and global level – future and present policymakers and grass rootsorganizations, civil society, scientists and CEOs, international organizations andcommitted individuals – need to join forces in building resilience faster.Thank you for your attention!