Ocean acidification and climate change: synergies and challenges of addressing both under the UNFCCC

Ocean acidification and climate change are linked by their common driver: CO 2 . Climate change is the consequence of a range of GHG emissions, but ocean acidification on a global scale is caused solely by increased concentrations of atmospheric CO 2 . Reducing CO 2 emissions is therefore the most effective way to mitigate ocean acidification. Acting to prevent further ocean acidification by reducing CO 2 emissions will also provide simultaneous benefits by alleviating future climate change. Although it is possible that reducing CO 2 emissions to a level low enough to address ocean acidification will simultaneously address climate change, the reverse is unfortunately not necessarily true. Despite the ocean's integral role in the climate system and the potentially…