In May 2023, international experts, researchers and EU Commission policymakers gathered for the UNESCO Integrated Ocean Carbon Research (IOC-R) workshop in Brussels, Belgium. The aim is to drive forward integrated ocean carbon research that underpins effective decision-making and climate action.
The ocean and climate nexus
With the ocean playing a significant role in our climate and acting as a natural carbon sink, understanding the underlying processes and how they are impacted by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is vital. “The ocean is taking up roughly 25% of the CO2 emissions from human beings, and it is also taking up more than 90% of the extra heat due to climate change,” explains Dr Kirsten Isensee, Programme Specialist – Ocean Carbon Sources and Sinks with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC UNESCO), and co-organiser of the IOC-R workshop.
Read the full story at EU4OceanObs.