Late last night, after two weeks of intense negotiations, delegates meeting at the United Nations finally agreed to language for a High Seas Treaty. This is a major milestone in a nearly two-decade effort to secure a treaty to govern and protect the High Seas, which make up 70% of the ocean and cover nearly half the planet. More than 160,000 supporters spoke up and urged leaders to act. This public support, along with the great work of partners like RISE UP, the High Seas Alliance, Greenpeace, and more, helped show decision-makers that people all over the world were watching and wanted action — and they delivered. There is still more work to do, as nations will now need to formally adopt the language and ratify the treaty at the country level. We will continue to keep you updated on campaign developments and the critical moments where we need your support.
To meet the Paris Agreement targets of keeping global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, 60% of proven hydrocarbon reserves must remain in the ground. To date, these “reserves” do not include the hydrocarbons in Antarctica where hydrocarbon-bearing sedimentary basins are well known.
Article 7 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol) bans all mineral resource activity in the Antarctic. While open-ended, the Protocol may be challenged after 2048, paving the way for future extraction opportunities and consequent international rivalries amongst the states present on the continent. While we may hope for a positive decision in 2048 not to seek access to Antarctic oil and gas thereafter, we are presently canalized into a pathway that may precisely allow this.
