Climate crisis: Our position statement

The Two Oceans Aquarium and Foundation are uniquely positioned to achieve impact through the significant number of people we reach, and this impact is further amplified by our location in the V&A Waterfront.

Our position statement on the climate crisis will guide our actions in response to the four major threats to the ocean and will support our efforts to galvanise individual, interpersonal, community, organisational action or support for multistakeholder processes and policy change.

Why we are taking action

Problem statement

2024 was the hottest year on record since 1850 and the first year to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures.

“In 2024, the annual average sea surface temperature (SST) over the extra-polar ocean reached a record high of 20.87°C, 0.51°C above the 1991–2020 average. The average extra-polar SST was at record high levels for the time of year from January to June 2024, continuing the streak of record months seen in the second half of 2023. From July to December 2024, the SST was the second warmest on record for the time of year, after 2023,” (Global Climate Highlights 2024).

Labelled “a code red for humanity”, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis noted unprecedented changes in climate across the globe. The cause of these changes is unequivocally human activities. The Report states that, unless there are urgent, large-scale, and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon, the global temperature will rise to dangerous levels. Exceeding temperatures by 2°C will have dramatic and deadly consequences for all life on Earth.

The climate crisis has far-reaching impacts on economic stability, health, food security, social and gender justice, equity, and biodiversity, the very cornerstone of all life on the planet.

Climate crisis and the ocean

The ocean covers 71% of the planet and provides half of the oxygen on Earth. Not only does it provide humanity with food and medicine, minerals, oil and gas, it also regulates the climate and absorbs 25% of carbon emissions and captures most of the heat generated by these emissions.

However, the climate crisis, as a result of human activities, is significantly impacting the ocean. Increasing sea temperatures, ocean acidification, melting sea ice, and sea level rise are having a detrimental impact on marine ecosystems and biodiversity as well as on the overall functioning of the ocean as Earth’s most important regulatory system.

Two Oceans Aquarium and Foundation position statement

The Two Oceans Aquarium and Foundation acknowledge that the climate crisis is as a result of human activities that are driving increasing amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

The climate crisis is the fundamental human rights issue of our time. Those who have contributed the least to global carbon emissions will suffer the most from the impacts of climate change and this includes people in South Africa. Climate action requires social justice measures that are fair and equitable so that vulnerable people have opportunities to benefit economically and socially.

We recognise that the ocean is our greatest ally against climate change and can provide many solutions.

What we are doing

We measure our carbon footprint annually.
We continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint through efficient energy and water use, waste reduction management, working with our suppliers, and educating our staff, visitors and other audiences e.g. school groups.
We invest in, develop and implement education and training programmes and resources to increase public understanding of climate change, the role of the ocean as Earth’s life support system, and climate action.
We lend support to campaigns calling for an end to the exploration for oil and gas off South Africa.
We are guided by peer-reviewed scientific evidence and indigenous ways of knowing.
We support the development of an Ocean Champion community who are equipped to campaign, innovate and implement community/school-led projects that mitigate climate change or support climate change resilience.
We measure, evaluate and research the efficacy of our approaches.