Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 11 May 2023 - Strasbourg

Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries - Agreement of the IGC on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (High Seas Treaty) (debate)

  Grace O’Sullivan (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, Commissioner Sinkevičius, colleagues, Ireland’s Marine Institute this month released a report on ocean climate. The findings of this report should jolt MEPs into immediate climate action. More than 90% of the excess heat we humans create is soaked up by the oceans. We have reached the limit of how much the oceans can take. Every piece of plastic produced and discarded, every carbon-rich seabed bottom trawled, the ocean takes the hit and we are seeing the impacts. Sea surface temperatures increased by 0.5 degrees in just ten years. The heat is accumulating, penetrating deeper and deeper into the oceans, accelerating climate change.

In the last elections, politicians here made promise after promise to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change. Well, the Nature Restoration Law is here. The action plan is here. So I’m asking you MEPs not to go back on your promises. We need the Nature Restoration Law. We need the action plan. This is climate action. So please remember your promises and support the plans that are on the table and the European Green Deal.