Intervention during the Ocean Action Panel 2: “Increasing ocean-related scientific cooperation, knowledge, capacity building, marine technology and education to strengthen the science-policy interface for ocean health”

Distinguished Co-chairs of Panama and Portugal,

Excellencies, Honored Delegates, and Esteemed Representatives of Partner Organizations,  

I would like to thank the co-hosts of this conference, the governments of France and Costa Rica, as well as the United Nations system and all contributing partners for convening us under the shared goal of safeguarding our ocean.

I would like to start my panel intervention with an alarming scientific statistic.

In 2024, marine heatwaves hit more than 40 million square kilometers of  the South-west Pacific.

This is more than 10 percent of the global ocean surface area,  or four times the size of Europe and of the United States of America.

We all know how we feel when we face extreme heat. So imagine the impact on fish, coral reefs and marine ecosystems.  

This finding from a new World Meteorological Organization report on the State of the Climate in the South-west Pacific is a snapshot of what is happening at global level.  

• Record ocean heat and acidification are inflicting severe and long-lasting damage.  
• Accelerating sea-level rise is an existential threat to entire island nations and coastal megacities.  
• More extreme weather and climate events harm maritime trade and transport.
• The severe drought which impacted the Panama Canal in 2023-2024 highlighted the vulnerability of global supply chains.

This results in billions of dollars of damage to the blue economy.

It poses a tsunami-like threat to all the Sustainable Development Goals, and not just SDG14.

We need to turn the tide.  

To do this, we need scientific cooperation, data exchange and knowledge. Coupled with political will.

Excellencies, esteemed guests,

The origins of the World Meteorological Organization date back more than 150 years. Our early mission was to provide shipping forecasts to protect human life from dangerous ocean waters.  

Today, we urgently need to protect the ocean from dangerous human activities.  

So how can we do this?

WMO is a co-sponsor of the Global Ocean Observing System hosted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

The "eyes" of thousands of observing platforms feed weather forecasts, early warnings and climate prediction. They are critical to monitor ocean health and our changing climate. 

A major contributor to observations is the Argo program, with nearly 4,000 robotic floats.

This is a shining example of international collaboration in monitoring ocean heat, sea-level rise, and circulation patterns.

More than 1,000 Voluntary Observing Ships provide real-time meteorological data, improving weather forecasts and advancing our understanding of climate dynamics.  

However, participation is declining. We need to reverse this trend.  

Better forecasts and better decision-making depend on robust data. This is a Must.

To try to close the gaps, WMO and its partners - IOC and the International Maritime Organization - will launch the “10 000 ships for the ocean” initiative - here this Friday.  

It is a global alliance with the shipping industry to scale up ship-based observations and shape the future of an AI-powered ocean intelligence.

This will help unlock global benefit for operations, forecasting, early warnings and ocean health.

Public-private engagement will be key in the future. The scale of the challenge demands that we all work together.  

The Systematic Observations Financing Facility, of which I am co-chair, is a model of innovative financing and North-South and South-South partnerships.

It seeks to fill basic climate and weather gaps and has potential to engage in ocean observations.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Open data, shared standards, international trust and provision of actionable information. These lie at the heart of the work of WMO.

I would like to give you a brief overview of some of our contributions to the SDGs:

Firstly

WMO experience shows the value of weather forecasts and services for maritime operations.

To optimize routes, minimize risks and reduce fuel consumption – and hence greenhouse gas emissions.  

Secondly

The WMO community of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are improving forecasts and warnings of tropical cyclone related hazards – such as storm surge and coastal inundations.

This will save lives and protect livelihoods amidst more rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones and growing coastal populations.

This is an essential part of the international Early Warnings for All initiative.  

Thirdly

WMO's Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and the related GOOS Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Plan seek to increase understanding of the role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle.

This helps also operationalize ocean carbon data collection.  

Fourthly

WMO climate monitoring activities take the pulse of the planet – and of the ocean – and inform decision-making on climate mitigation and adaptation.  

Excellencies, esteemed guests,

I started with a statistic and I will finish with statistics - we scientists love statistics – and we use them for the good of society.    

From 2023 to 2024, the heat content of the upper 2000 meters of the global ocean increased by 16 zettajoules. This is about 140 times the world’s total electricity generation.  It is huge.  

The ocean has absorbed more than 90 percent of the excess energy from human activities.

It protects us from even higher temperatures on land. But the ocean is paying a heavy price. It has a long memory.  

It will not forget, or forgive.

Thank you.