CHENNAI: France has invited Tamil Nadu to join the Global Coalition on Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience, recognising the state's efforts in tackling sea level rise. Dr Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, extended the invitation to Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday, urging him to attend a special summit as part of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France.
The coalition, set to launch on 7 June, aims to accelerate international collaboration by bringing together coastal cities, regions, and island states worldwide. It will also mark the beginning of week-long plenary and dialogue sessions at UNOC3, which will see participation from 193 United Nations member states.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Mathou said, “Tamil Nadu is one of the states already taking significant measures to address sea level rise. Efforts are underway to unite coastal cities, regions, and island states globally to form this coalition. States like Tamil Nadu are crucial to the initiative.”
Dr Mathou made these remarks during his visit to Plastic Odyssey, a 40-metre-long “floating laboratory” sailing through several low- to middle-income countries to explore sustainable solutions for plastic pollution. He was accompanied by Herve D M Delphilin, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan, along with other senior delegates.
The French ambassador emphasised the significance of the upcoming UN Ocean Conference, likening its outcome document to the Paris Agreement for climate change. “As the host country, France is urging member nations to set higher ambitions. India will be sending a high-level ministerial delegation to the conference,” he added.
Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has released its State of the Global Climate Report, confirming that 2024 is likely the first calendar year to exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era. The report also declared 2024 as the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.
“Data for 2024 show that our oceans continued to warm, and sea levels continued to rise. The frozen parts of Earth’s surface, known as the cryosphere, are melting at an alarming rate: glaciers continue to retreat, and Antarctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent ever recorded. Meanwhile, extreme weather continues to have devastating consequences around the world,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
Tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and other hazards in 2024 led to the highest number of new displacements recorded in the past 16 years, worsened food crises, and caused massive economic losses, the report further stated.