In an effort to promote the sustainability of maritime transport in the region, as part of our Sustainable Shipping Initiative, IOA along with the Mexican Chamber of the Maritime Transportation Industry (CAMAIENTRAM) and WWF Mexico, kickstarted works towards the building of a roadmap to achieve zero emissions chamber-wide during a hybrid event this August.

In this context, we also announced a series of webinars entitled “Decarbonization pathways for the maritime and port sectors 2024” organized by Global Factor Mexico.

As part of IOA’s efforts to promote science literacy, open access to information and science communication through our Gulf of California Marine Program (GCMP), GCMP’s director Catalina Lopez and dataMares organized four discussion panels in collaboration with the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación, UNIVERSUM, the Instituto de Ecología and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Buceo Científico during the 6^th International Book Fair, FILUNI, hosted by UNAM in Mexico City in late August. Aside from these meaningful discussions, which reached 208 attendees collectively, this was an opportunity for GCMP to strengthen collaboration relationships with researchers in México and establish new ones with scientists and science communicators from other countries.

This briefing by Carlos Correa, Non-Resident Fellow of the Institute of the Americas and former Environment Minister of Colombia, “Paving the Way to Baku and Cali,” highlights the critical importance of both upcoming United Nations’ biodiversity and climate negotiations in 2024. With the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, and the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the year is pivotal for aligning global efforts to address the intertwined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The success of these conferences will hinge on bridging substantial finance gaps, achieving ambitious conservation goals like the 30×30, and ensuring inclusive participation, particularly from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The outcomes from Cali and Baku could significantly influence global momentum leading up to COP30 in Brazil, marking a decade since the Paris Agreement’s adoption. To better understand the stakes in this year’s talks, this brief guide previews 10 critical issues to be addressed in the negotiations.

This brief by Soffia Alarcon, Associate Director Americas, Sustainability Business at Schneider Electric and EC2 Director Tania Miranda, explores the crucial role of corporate biodiversity reporting within ESG frameworks. It emphasizes how governments are increasingly mandating risk disclosures related to climate and biodiversity, highlighting the private sector’s critical role in achieving biodiversity goals.

By understanding and managing their dependencies and impacts on nature, companies can mitigate risks, seize opportunities for innovation and sustainable finance, and contribute positively to sustainability. Technological advancements are enhancing the accuracy of biodiversity data collection, closing the gaps related to biodiversity reporting. By adopting the different reporting frameworks and data management tools, companies can improve their sustainability performance, ensure business continuity, and contribute to global efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity.

GCMP’s Director Catalina López, in collaboration with scientists at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in La Paz, Mexico, published their most recent work on a Normalized Reef Status Index (NRSI) that redefines how scientists can assess the health of rocky reef ecosystems in the journal Ecological Indicators.

This innovative index provides a more reliable and comprehensive metric than traditional measures such as fish abundance, density, or biomass and offers new opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) by deepening our understanding of ecological mechanisms and their recovery processes.