Statement on United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report this week

BOSTON, MASS. (April 5, 2022) – The New England Aquarium is reacting to a major new climate change report warning of the urgent need for countries to drastically reduce their use of fossil fuels. Sarah Reiter, the new Director of Ocean Policy at the Aquarium, released the following statement. With an expertise in ocean solutions to the global climate crisis, Reiter is available for interviews upon request.

“The New England Aquarium has a front row seat to the impacts of climate change, extending along our waterfront and into the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine. The latest IPCC report confirms the vital role our ocean plays as part of the climate solution in securing a livable future. To leverage the power of the ocean, we must prioritize the development of clean energy resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote nature-based solutions to build resilient coastlines.”

ABOUT SARAH REITER

Sarah Reiter, J.D., is the new Director of Ocean Policy at New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life and works at the intersections of science and law to oversee policies that protect and restore the blue planet. With a particular focus on the ocean solutions to the climate crisis, from carbon sequestration in coastal ecosystems to clean energy transition, Reiter has served as the head of an observer delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) international climate negotiations in support of small island nations. She has published in cross-disciplinary journals such as Science and the Stanford Environmental Law Journal. Her admiration for scientists stems from her time as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy, where she studied atmospheric thermodynamics and physical oceanography, and went on to commission in the U.S. Air Force as a meteorologist.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Pam Bechtold Snyder – psnyder@neaq.org, 617-686-5068