UN Foundation Welcomes International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification

The United Nations Foundation announced today that it will host the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance). In keeping with the Foundation’s goal of building and nurturing new innovations and initiatives, the partnership is designed to maximize OA Alliance’s impact, strengthen its organizational durability, and further contribute to climate-ocean leadership across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“It’s an honor to join the UN Foundation at this important stage in the Alliance’s growth, and we are excited to both contribute to and learn from the Foundation’s climate-ocean leadership,” said Jessie Turner, Executive Director of the OA Alliance. “We know what we need to do to mitigate ocean acidification and increase resilience of ocean resources and the communities that depend on them — and together, the UN Foundation and OA Alliance will drive more ambitious, faster climate-ocean action.”

The OA Alliance brings together governments at all levels and organizations from across the globe dedicated to protecting coastal communities and livelihoods from the threat of ocean acidification and other climate-ocean impacts.

Together, OA Alliance members represent nearly 300 million people and more than 366,000 km of coastline around the world. By integrating science, policy, and investments, they are implementing projects that will help deliver on international commitments to combat climate change, build resilience for ecosystems and communities, and restore the health of the world’s ocean.

“OA Alliance members are leading efforts to ensure multilateral commitments, policies, and communications reflect the interdependence of the ocean to our climate goals and the entire SDG framework,” said Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the UN Foundation.

The OA Alliance was launched at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference by four subnational governments in direct response to the first observed impacts of ocean acidification on oyster hatchery production across the North American West Coast during the mid-2000s. Together, OA Alliance members are advancing strategies to lower CO2 emissions — the leading cause of ocean acidification and climate change. The Alliance facilitates national, subnational, and Tribal governments proactively responding to the impacts of ocean acidification through the creation of OA Action Plans that promote solutions and turn knowledge into action.

About the UN Foundation
For 25 years, the UN Foundation has built novel innovations and partnerships to support the United Nations and help solve global problems at scale. As an independent charitable organization, the Foundation was created to work closely with the United Nations to address humanity’s greatest challenges and drive global progress. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org

About the OA Alliance
The International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance) brings together governments and organizations from across the globe dedicated to increasing ambition for climate action and transforming the global response to climate-ocean change. The OA Alliance includes over 120 members across 22 countries representing a diversity of national, state, municipal, and sovereign tribal, indigenous, and First Nation governments along with many dedicated affiliate partners like NGOs, seafood industry leaders, and local academia. Learn more at www.oalliance.org