The landmark ruling by a global maritime court that greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution will have a profound impact on the global climate fight.
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It also represents a major victory for the ingenuity and leadership of small island states in Oceania and around the world whose very survival is predicated on stopping the planet's heating.
But the decision will also have significance for Australia as we strive to protect our ocean environment including our World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.
And it should dramatically reshape the agenda Australia brings to the global stage if we are successful in our bid to co-host the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in 2026 in partnership with the Pacific.
In its first climate-related judgment, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea said emissions from fossil fuels and other planet-warming gases that are absorbed by the oceans count as marine pollution.
The judgement represents a bridging of the gap that has emerged between global nature and climate agendas.
By outlining how the ocean is directly impacted by greenhouse gases, the tribunal has brought into sharp focus the need for countries to integrate action on the marine environment with their climate commitments.
It reflects the growing global realisation that, while critical, decarbonising the energy sector will not be enough to mitigate catastrophic climate change.
Put simply, protecting and regenerating nature will make or break net zero.
Nature and climate are two sides of the same coin - one impacts the other while also offering solutions for resilience and emissions reduction.
Therefore, there must be more emphasis on tackling deforestation, reducing ocean pollution and transforming food production if we are to stabilise global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.
For example, a healthy ocean can help keep our climate in balance, support economic development and allow habitats and wildlife to thrive. But this will only be possible if countries positively respond and take action now.
That is why this latest ruling means so much, to all of humanity.
For Australia it obliges urgent action based on the best available science on global warming to protect our oceans, marine life and coral reefs. That requires setting a strong 2035 emissions target of at least 90 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035 and urgently phasing out all fossil fuels.
Australia could know if its bid to host COP31, together with the Pacific, in 2026 is successful as early as November when COP29 is held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
It is difficult to over-estimate the significance to Australia of a winning bid.
Firstly, it would give Australia a highly charged diplomatic role in leading the multilateral negotiations towards implementation of key global emission targets.
This level of global leadership would see Australia setting the agenda for the world to address all aspects of the climate crisis: driving down emissions, adapting to its acute impacts, and building resilience to the effects yet to come through innovative technology and investments.
But beyond the global negotiations, there are also enormous opportunities to display Australian innovation to corporate leaders, investors, philanthropists, academics, non-government organisations and many others.
A climate COP in Oceania will also bring the diplomatic leadership and expertise of Pacific leaders to bear upon this important global platform. This is extremely important as Pacific and other small island states are highly effective at catalysing global climate action, as evidenced by the ITLOS ruling.
One opportunity that co-hosting accords Australia and Pacific is the opportunity to influence the theme and agenda of the meeting.
COP31 could be a people's COP, including a focus on the critical stewardship and leadership of First Nations people in protecting and regenerating the environment.
Following on from COP30 in Brazil (2025), COP31 could amplify the climate crisis through a First Nations lens. And with COP32 to be hosted in Africa (2027), there is an opportunity for First Nations leadership to be central in three consecutive COPs. This would be unprecedented.
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First Nations people have the knowledge and expertise and can provide practical solutions and lead the world in advancing climate justice, something that is critical in tackling all aspects of climate change.
The recent maritime court ruling gives formal legal recognition to the fragility and the interconnectedness of the changing climate and ocean pollution. The time is right to recognise - through the world's climate process - the need to protect and restore our blue planet.
There will be many ideas about what COP31 should focus on and all views should be heard if it is to be a people's COP. The important point is that if we can secure this opportunity, we must make it count for our planet's future.
- Dermot O'Gorman is the CEO of WWF Australia.