多边环境协定协同规制海洋酸化的框架与路径

Framework and Pathways for Synergistic Regulation of Ocean Acidification by Multilateral Environmental Agreements

全球海洋环境正遭受酸化的威胁但缺乏足够的治理,现行的国际法律规制处于“制度复合体”的困境中。海洋与环境制度碎片化的持续状态将阻碍对海洋酸化形成联合系统的治理力量,采用一种整合性的规制方式十分必要。一种可能的解决方案是,通过开放包容、与时俱进的《联合国海洋法公约》提供全面应对海洋酸化的特定法律框架来主导规制,由其他多边环境协定提供具体的规则和标准指导国际社会统一行动。这种解决方案能否实现规制目标,有赖于其他多边环境协定是否适用于《联合国海洋法公约》缔约方,以及是否为海洋酸化提供有针对性的规制措施。然而,现行主要多边环境协定对海洋酸化普遍重视不足且缺乏敏感性,这对形成有效的规制措施构成一定的障碍。当前,各国可从尽量减缓和扭转海洋酸化的趋势、主动干预已出现的海洋酸化现象、增强海洋生态系统的复原力3个维度入手,在主要多边环境协定的发展进程中为应对海洋酸化寻找达成共识和集体行动的机会,尽快推动相关国际法律制度的发展,包括以现有条约为基础增加相关条款或丰富条约解释,并出台有效规制海洋酸化的务实举措,尤其需要考虑在气候协定中设定明确的与海洋pH值直接相关的二氧化碳减排目标。

The global marine environment is threatened by acidification but lacks adequate governance,and current international legal regulation is in a“regime complex”dilemma.Continued fragmentation of the oceans and environment regime will impede the development of joint systemic governance of ocean acidification,and an integrated approach to regulation is necessary.One possible solution is to provide a specific legal framework for a comprehensive response to ocean acidification through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS),which is open,inclusive and keeps pace with the times,to lead regulation,with other multilateral environmental agreements(MEAs)providing specific rules and standards to guide the international community to act in a unified manner.Whether such a solution can achieve its regulatory goals depends on whether other MEAs are applicable to UNCLOS parties and whether they provide targeted regulatory measures for ocean acidification.However,the general lack of attention and sensitivity to ocean acidification in the existing major MEAs is an obstacle to the development of effective regulatory measures.Currently,starting from three dimensions including slowing down and reversing the trend of ocean acidification as much as possible,proactively intervening in ocean acidification that has emerged and enhancing the resilience of marine ecosystems,countries can seek opportunities for consensus and collective action to address ocean acidification in the context of the development process of major MEAs,promote the development of the relevant international legal regime as soon as possible,including the addition of relevant provisions or enrichment of treaty interpretation based on existing treaties,and introduce practical measures to effectively regulate ocean acidification.In addition,consideration needs to be given to set explicit CO 2-reduction targets that are directly linked to ocean pH in climate agreements.