The goal is to mobilise action to achieve the 2030 targets set by the UN Climate Change High-level champions through the Race to Resilience and to deliver on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
The breakthrough will call for 2 targets specific to coral reefs to create momentum for actions to meet global ambitions. These targets will need to be science-driven, measurable, and actionable. The targets currently under development are likely to focus on:
- Area of coral reefs that need to be under protection and/or restoration by 2030; and
- Investment needed to meet global ambitions across the public and private sectors
These targets will be supported by specific action points and a set of principles that will highlight best-practices and latest scientific recommendations for coral reef conservation.
Inspired by the Mangrove Breakthrough
The Coral Reef Breakthrough will follow the format and concept of the Mangrove Breakthrough which was released at COP27 in November 2022.
Spearheaded by global mangrove experts, the Mangrove Breakthrough aims to secure the future of 15 million hectares of mangroves globally by 2030 through collective action on:
- Halting mangrove losses
- Restoring half of recent mangrove losses
- Doubling the protection of mangroves globally
- Ensuring sustainable long-term finance for all existing mangroves by achieving an investment of 4 billion USD by 2030 to conserve and revitalize these coastal ecosystems
Read | The Mangrove Breakthrough (pdf)
Led by an Expert Working Group
The development of the breakthrough is led by a working group of over 25 global experts focused on topics of reef management, blue finance, reef resilience, reef restoration, capacity building, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
Special support is further provided by the ICRI Secretariat and ad-hoc committees, the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, and the UN Climate Change High-level champions. This expert working group will be instrumental in building consensus behind the targets, and ensuring that the action points and principles reflect the best-available and latest science.
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) | Global Fund for Coral Reefs | Climate Champions Race to Resilience | CORDAP | Allen Coral Atlas |Australian Institute of Marine Science | Corals for Conservation | CORDIO East Africa | Fauna & Flora International | Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network |Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority | Healthy Reefs for Healthy people Initiative | International Coral Reef Symposium | Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research | KAUST | Macquarie University | NOAA| Palau International Coral | Reef Center | The Nature Conservancy | UNEP-WCMC | Université de Montpellier | University Autonoma de Mexico | Wildlife Conservation Society | WIOMSA | WWF
Timeline
The 2030 Coral Reef Breakthrough will be launched at ICRI’s 37th General Meeting in September 2023 where it will be presented to ICRI members for adoption. There will also be a secondary launch at the UNFCCC COP 28 in November 2023:
Breakthrough Partners
