UN Report: Ocean's Ability to Absorb Carbon Has Weakened by About 6% as Climate Change Intensifies
UN News reported on October 28 that the UN's 2026 Climate Technology Progress Report warns the ocean's ability to absorb and store carbon has already been reduced by approximately six per cent by climate change. The ocean absorbs around 30 per cent of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions and approximately 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. The report was released in Copenhagen ahead of the COP31 climate conference in November.
Produced by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre in collaboration with the Climate Technology Centre and Network and the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee, the report calls for investment in "Ocean Carbon Intelligence" — a framework connecting ocean science, monitoring technologies, data infrastructure and analytical tools to improve understanding of ocean carbon dynamics and support evidence-based climate action. Lead author Sara Traerup cautioned that ocean-based technologies must complement, not replace, emissions reductions and ecosystem protection, and warned the weakening could accelerate in coming years.
The report stressed that Small Island Developing States contribute less than one per cent of global emissions yet are on the front line of ocean and climate impacts, and called for greater access to finance, technology transfer and capacity-building. In 2015, Seychelles used a debt-for-nature swap to restructure part of its foreign debt in exchange for marine conservation commitments, setting up a trust fund for marine conservation, climate resilience and the sustainable blue economy.
In the Pacific, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have been supported to map seagrass meadows and mangrove forests and measure how much carbon they store; more than 100 people have been trained in blue-carbon assessment, giving governments data for their national climate plans. The report also stressed integrating local and Indigenous knowledge into resource management.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：海洋吸收人类活动约三成二氧化碳排放、九成温室气体多余热量，是地球最大的天然碳汇之一（资料图）。照片：Ifremer，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The ocean absorbs around 30 per cent of human-caused CO2 emissions and 90 per cent of excess heat, making it one of Earth's largest natural carbon sinks (file photo). Ifremer, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
