Why 1.5°C Climate Target is so Important

New Caledonia, Mar 2016 (01/03/2016) © The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey

Latest UNESCO update confirms the crucial role of delivering on the Paris Agreement.

For us, busy urbanites, coral reefs may seem like a distant, out of our daily lives issue. Even so, anyone, who’s ever immersed in the underwater landscape, can’t help but feel mesmerized by its beauty. In reality, coral reefs are not only breathtakingly beautiful but are important for many reasons. Coral reefs around the world are home to many marine organisms, while also protecting the coastlines from the wave action and tropical storms among many important functions. All that is in danger.

Last year, UNESCO World Heritage Centre released its first global scientific assessment of the impact of the climate change on UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs. Recently, the organization issued an update, confirming that 1.5°C climate target is essential for securing a sustainable future for the planet’s most iconic reef systems. It means, that in addition to the World Heritage Convention’s work on strengthening the on-site management of locally, delivering on the Paris Agreement is essential for Marine Heritage-listed reefs.

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联合国教科文组织的最新进展证实了执行《巴黎协定》（Paris Agreement）的关键作用。

对我们这些忙碌的都市人来说，珊瑚礁似乎是超出我们日常生活的一个遥远的问题。即便如此，任何一个曾经沉浸在水下风景的人都会情不自禁地被它的美所吸引。事实上，珊瑚礁不仅令人叹为观止，而且因为许多原因也很重要。世界各地的珊瑚礁是许多海洋生物的家园，同时也保护海岸线免受海浪和热带风暴等许多影响。但是现在一切都处于危险中。

去年，联合国教科文组织世界遗产中心（UNESCO World Heritage Centre）发布了其第一份关于气候变化对联合国教科文组织世界遗产珊瑚礁的影响的全球科学评估报告。最近，该组织发出一项更新，确认1.5°C气候目标对于确保未来地球可持续性的标志性的珊瑚礁生态系统至关重要的意义。这意味着，除了《世界遗产公约》（World Heritage Convention）在加强当地现场管理方面的工作之外，履行《巴黎协定》对于列入海洋遗产名录的珊瑚礁也是至关重要的。