Sources indicated on 6 November 2026 that environmental network Seas At Risk has urged world leaders gathered at COP31 to take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions in order to protect marine ecosystems and to accelerate a fair transition away from fossil fuels in international shipping.
Call to action at COP31 Seas At Risk told delegates that swift measures are needed to cut emissions from shipping and associated activities, framing the demand as both an ecological necessity and a matter of justice for communities who depend on healthy seas. The organisation linked the appeal directly to discussions under way at COP31, saying that international policy must now match the scale of the scientific warnings.
Scientific backdrop The call echoes warnings from the latest scientific assessments, with the UNEP Emissions Gap Report cited by the group as delivering a stark warning about the trajectory of global emissions. Seas At Risk used those findings to argue that incremental steps will be insufficient to safeguard marine systems and that more ambitious action is required.
Seas At Risk singled out black carbon alongside carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, noting that both categories of pollutant pose risks to ocean health and climate systems. The organisation emphasised the need to address emissions from shipping as part of a broader effort to halt degradation of marine ecosystems.
The report placed a particular emphasis on a just transition, urging measures that avoid disproportionate impacts on vulnerable states and seafaring communities while phasing out fossil-fuel dependence in international shipping. Seas At Risk argued that policy design should combine emission cuts with social and economic safeguards to ensure the shift is equitable.
Seas At Risk’s appeal arrives as governments and negotiators at COP31 weigh commitments across sectors, with the organisation urging that maritime emissions be treated as integral to global efforts to bridge the emissions gap. The network presented its position as a timely reminder that the health of the oceans is linked to the success of climate policy.
The reports item documented the statement on 6 November 2026, noting the group’s insistence that international shipping must play a central role in efforts to reduce global emissions and black carbon. Seas At Risk’s message to delegates was clear: protecting marine ecosystems and delivering a fair energy transition in shipping require urgent and decisive policy measures.
Seas At Risk called on policymakers at COP31 to align maritime measures with the level of ambition outlined by recent science, and to ensure that the pace of change reflects the immediacy of risks to oceans and dependent communities. The organisation concluded that without accelerated action, marine ecosystems and the people who rely on them will face mounting threats from a warming and polluted ocean.