Report: Advancing China's Sustainable Blue Economy - Building Strong Policy Foundations for Ocean Accounting and Blue Finance
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The Integrated Ocean Carbon Research Report
Dr Rebecca Shellock
The Integrated Ocean Carbon Research (IOC-R) Report, developed by 72 authors and 13 reviewers from 23 countries, offers the most comprehensive evaluation to date of the processes driving ocean carbon uptake and storage, and identifies the research priorities required to strengthen global climate planning.
Closing knowledge gaps in understanding the ocean carbon sink to support stronger climate action.
The ocean absorbs around 25% of human‑produced CO₂, slowing global warming. Major knowledge gaps (10-20% divergence in models) exist in understanding of how the ocean carbon sink will evolve with an increasingly unpredictable climate. These uncertainties impact national climate strategies, CO₂ targets, IPCC projections, and adaptation planning.
The IOC‑R Report brings together 72 authors from 23 countries and provides the clearest roadmap yet to close these gaps. Dr Rebecca Shellock, Social Scientists at the GOAP Secretariat is proud to have contributed to this important research.
The report calls for:
- Interdisciplinary research linking science, socio-economics, and policy.
- Integrated global ocean carbon observing system (satellites, autonomous platforms, in‑situ sensors).
- Improved climate and ocean models.
- Capacity strengthening, especially in under‑monitored regions.
Related Publications
Interim Analysis of Ocean Based Climate Actions Communicated in New and Updated NDCs and NBSAPs
Interim analysis of ocean-based climate actions included in new and updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) & national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs)
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Social Accounts in the Maldives
The Maldives has begun integrating the social domain into national Ocean Accounts frameworks.
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