Air Quality & Goal 14 - Life Below Water
Goal 14 targets life below the water by aiming to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Air and oceans are naturally very much intertwined.
One of the largest threats to our oceans is acidification and its root causes are linked to air pollution. Ocean acidification threatens aquatic ecosystems by reducing pH levels, causing high acidity. Oceans absorb one-quarter of global GHG emissions, causing them to become acidic and thus inhospitable to many species. When oceans can no longer support marine life they become “dead zones,” a phenomenon on the rise since 2008.
On top of this, many communities rely on oceans for their livelihood, health and culture. The most effective way to limit ocean acidification is to act on climate change, implementing solutions to dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels. This means that reducing air pollution will inevitably help protect oceans and ocean ecosystems.
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Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Life Below Water: Why it Matters
To conserve and sustainably use the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources.