Paco Ybarra and Val Smith discuss COP27

This report focuses on ocean degradation and makes the case for (1) increased attention and action from businesses and financial institutions, and (2) a more integrated approach across climate change, biodiversity loss and ocean degradation.

Around the globe, nearly a third of us worry about where our next meal is coming from, and one in ten of us suffer from hunger or malnutrition. How is that possible in a modern society? While we are having high-level debates about the possible dystopian effects on society from advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, we seem to be missing a simple and embarrassing truth — we have failed in our moral responsibility to ensure no one goes hungry.

At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021, world leaders came together and set a global agenda on a path to net zero emissions. Pledges were made to further cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce the use of coal, lower methane emissions, and stop deforestation. Importantly, an actionable framework was put around the promises made in the Paris Agreement.