Draft, not yet released. In stewardship review. Not indexed until the first approved release.

Readings from the other desks

The global baseline is read through each steward’s lens, then once as a whole. Each lens is a projection of reviewed findings, not a separate argument. The other desks’ own editions of this subject are listed first, as cross-references, not copies.

16 min read0 figures8 tables37 notesNR-STRATEGIC-COMMONS-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE

Contents
  1. ·Edition home
  2. ·Executive summary
  3. 1Shared spaces change together
  4. 2Key findings
  5. 3Systems and sectors at baseline
  6. 4Risks and capability
  7. 5High seas treaty implementation and the first protected areas
  8. 6Readings from the other desks
    1. 6.1 The other desks’ editions of this subject
    2. 6.2 Three lenses
    3. 6.3 Standards, Academy and steward contributions
    4. 6.4 GCRI reading: the model card
    5. 6.5 Global Risks Forum reading: editorial essays
    6. 6.6 Global Risks Alliance reading: 2027 ocean and polar commons readiness pack
    7. 6.7 Nexus Standards reading: standards and regulatory watch
    8. 6.8 Risk Academy reading: literature and evidence review, science and assessments
  9. 7The 2027 agenda
  10. 8Systems in depth
  11. AMethodology
  12. BData appendix
  13. CReferences and record
  14. ·Complete edition, for print

6.1The other desks’ editions of this subject

Federation: each desk writes its own edition for the subjects in its remit. Until a desk releases, its edition shows its frame and the reading this edition printed for it.

DeskEditionStateIdentifier
GCRI Systems EvidenceNo edition of this subject at this desk in the 2026 Baseline cycleNot in this cycle
GRF Public DeliberationOutside this desk’s remitNot in remit
GRA Capital ReadinessNo edition of this subject at this desk in the 2026 Baseline cycleNot in this cycle
Standards ProgressOutside this desk’s remitNot in remit
Academy CapabilityOutside this desk’s remitNot in remit
Index MeasurementOutside this desk’s remitNot in remit

6.2Three lenses

One edition, read by each steward. The lens of this site comes first.

GCRI · KEY T

Technical Truth

The evidence supports reading the commons as linked spaces. Warming drives ice loss, sea level, reef stress and acidification together, and governance moves unevenly across them. Evidence is strongest for physical series and weakest for activity at sea and effective protection.

CLI-001 · CLI-004 · BIO-005 · POL-008

GRF · KEY M

Public Meaning

For most people the ocean arrives as a coast, a plate of fish or a news image of melting ice. The baseline asks that public debate treat the ocean, the poles and orbit as shared and connected, and keep governance in view as well as science.

CLI-002 · FOO-007 · POL-008

GRA · KEY F

Capital Meaning

Readiness implications only. Sea level, reef and fish evidence show where finance-readiness evidence will matter. Nothing here is advice, a rating or an approval.

CLI-004 · FOO-007

NEXUS

Synthesis

The commons are well described by physical series and thinly measured by use. The 2027 programme should bind protection and activity data, test the treaty scenario and map which rules are in force before the next decisions.

POL-008 · MIN-011 · C-01

6.3Standards, Academy and steward contributions

How the Nexus Standards drafts, the Risk Academy and the three stewards feed each quarterly edition for ocean and polar commons. The standards are a preparatory working draft (2026) and are cited as drafts, never as adopted standards.

Table 6.1The quarterly rhythm every edition follows
QuarterEditionQuestionBoundary
Q1State and AgendaWhat matters this year, and what is the starting position?observed baseline stays distinct from planned work
Q2Evidence and BuildWhat new evidence and capability exist?a configured capability is not a validated result
Q3Stress Test and ReadinessWhat do scenarios and tests show?simulated loss or performance is not observed impact
Q4Annual Synthesis and RenewalWhat changed in the year, and what renews?release follows review, not event publicity deadlines
Table 6.2Who contributes what each quarter
Steward or bodyRoleContribution route
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI Canada)Lead Institution and Consortium Secretariat; publisher of record; technical truth (key T)science and practice communities · GCRI gateway
The Global Risks Forum (GRF)leadership, dialogue and the Universe programme; public meaning (key M)policy, Universe and national adoption · GRF gateway
The Global Risks Alliance (GRA)finance, insurance and development readiness; capital meaning (key F)finance and insurance · GRA gateway
Nexus Standardspreparatory drafts on vocabulary, hazards, indicators and methodsStandards site · working groups HAZ, IND, MTH, FIN, AI
Risk Academylearning pathways tied to the agenda questionsAcademy gateway · learning by review
Reports strategic deskscommons chapter inputs: GCRI evidence and GRA readinessstrategic editorial board

Standards drafts used in this edition

  • Risk vocabulary NRS-C1 (424 terms) for terms in the glossary
  • Hazard atlas NHS-1 1.1.0 (905 hazards in 120 families) for risk objects
  • Seven risk classes: global, catastrophic, existential, emerging, planetary, exponential, frontier-tech

Standards calendar to watch

  • Founding calls from 20 October 2026; working groups meet from 5 November 2026
  • Inaugural Global Standards Council session, 12 January 2027
  • Quarterly reviews in March, June, September and December, aligned with each edition

6.4GCRI reading: the model card

GCRI’s reading of this edition is its model card: what the national model is, what it computes and where it stops. It is printed in full in Annex A, with the methods it belongs to. Annex A, methodology

6.5Global Risks Forum reading: editorial essays

Four signed essays by the Reports editorial team set out the positions this edition takes. They are interpretation, labelled as such; the evidence they draw on is in the findings register.

Heat moves between air, ice and water, and carbon changes ocean chemistry. Treating sea ice, sea level, reefs and fish alone understates how a change in one reaches the others. This edition reads the links.

EDITORIAL ESSAY · 01

Shared spaces are linked

A reef passes a thermal threshold at a level of warming well within current ranges. The Tipping Points Report places the central estimate at 1.2 °C. Averages hide the point after which recovery is limited.

EDITORIAL ESSAY · 02

Thresholds matter more than averages

Some rules entered into force in 2025 and 2026. Others were adjourned or remain open. The gap between a rule in force and a change at sea is itself a measurable thing.

EDITORIAL ESSAY · 03

Rules arrive unevenly

Sea ice and sea level have long public series. Protection, seabed ecosystems and activity at sea do not. What is not measured is hard to protect or to hold to account.

EDITORIAL ESSAY · 04

Data decide what can be governed

6.6Global Risks Alliance reading: 2027 ocean and polar commons readiness pack

The registers that open the 2027 global cycle. At baseline each is initialised from this edition.

Table 6.32027 ocean and polar commons readiness pack
ItemRegisterState at baselineFirst 2027 entry
E1Global risk state deltabaseline set by this editionchanges against the baseline
E2WEFH+B state deltafive global system readings setindicator updates and freshness
E3Agenda and Portfolio movementeight agenda items · 6 proposed objectsadmission decisions
E4Federation delivery registernational chapters in preparationnational chapters
E5Consortium capability registernational consortia formingfirst contributions
E6Leadership questions and challengesnone yetfirst challenge log
E7Foundry technical statenational environments preparedfirst federation cut
E8Publication candidatestwelve findings carried forwardPUBLISH · HOLD dispositions
E9Universe readinessone candidate missionadmission and role spine
E10Correction registernonefirst federation-wide cycle

Publication dispositions

  • Publish
  • Hold
  • Needs evidence
  • Restricted
  • Superseded

6.7Nexus Standards reading: standards and regulatory watch

Instruments and published guidance that shape the systems in this edition, by status on the retrieval date. The edition assesses no one’s compliance.

  • IN FORCE
  • ADOPTED
  • ISSUED
  • ADJOURNED
Table 6.4Standards and regulatory watch
InstrumentBodyScopeStatusRelevance
Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction11United NationsglobalIN FORCEhigh seas biodiversity
WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies12WTOglobalIN FORCEfishing subsidies
IMO net-zero framework for shipping41IMOglobalADJOURNEDshipping emissions
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea23United NationsglobalIN FORCEocean law
Antarctic Treaty18Antarctic Treaty SystemglobalIN FORCEAntarctica
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty24Antarctic Treaty SystemglobalIN FORCEAntarctic environment
Outer Space Treaty25United NationsglobalIN FORCEouter space
Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act42United StatesUSIN FORCEnational seabed licensing
ISA exploitation regulations, draft15International Seabed AuthorityglobalADJOURNEDseabed mining
Treaty concerning the Archipelago of Spitsbergen26treaty partiesSvalbardIN FORCEArctic archipelago
Ilulissat Declaration27Arctic Ocean coastal statesArcticADOPTED 2008Arctic Ocean
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework39Convention on Biological DiversityglobalADOPTED 2022protected area target
IMO GHG Strategy40IMOglobalADOPTED 2023shipping emissions
Advisory opinion on climate and the law of the sea20ITLOSglobalISSUED 2024ocean law
Advisory opinion on climate obligations19International Court of JusticeglobalISSUED 2025state obligations

Changed since 2024

  • The high seas treaty entered into force on 17 January 202611
  • The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force on 15 September 202512
  • The IMO adjourned the net-zero framework session in October 202541

To watch in 2027

  • Ratifications and the first conference of the parties of the high seas treaty11
  • Council decisions on seabed exploitation rules15
  • The reconvened IMO session on the net-zero framework (post-close, context only)13

6.8Risk Academy reading: literature and evidence review, science and assessments

The review behind this edition covers ocean and polar commons assessments, peer-reviewed science and the institutional reports that bind its findings. Systematic reviews for each agenda item begin in 2027.

Review protocol

Question
What does the published evidence establish about the world’s oceans, polar regions and global commons and its couplings?
Sources searched
agency analyses; treaty records; peer-reviewed tipping point and ocean literature; fisheries statistics
Window
releases available at evidence close, 30 September 2026
Selection
sources that bind or contextualise a finding in this edition
Next step
systematic reviews for agenda items 01 to 05 in 2027
Table 6.5Peer-reviewed science and assessments
ReferenceTypeYearRoleUsed for
Rockström et al.31journal article2009frameworkplanetary boundaries
Richardson et al.32journal article2023frameworkboundary update
Armstrong McKay et al.30journal article2022supportstipping thresholds
Ditlevsen and Ditlevsen33journal article2023contextocean circulation signal
Sala et al.36journal article2021supportsprotection and food
Hardin34journal article1968frameworkshared resources
Ostrom35book1990frameworkcollective action
Kessler and Cour-Palais38journal article1978frameworkdebris collisions
Table 6.6Institutional flagships
ReferenceIssuerYearRoleUsed for
Arctic Report Card 20253NOAA2025supportsArctic change
State of the Global Climate update5WMO2025supportssea level rate
Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere28IPCC2019contextocean and ice
Sixth Assessment, Working Group I37IPCC2021contextphysical basis
Global Tipping Points Report9Global Systems Institute and partners2025supportsreef threshold
Planetary Health Check10Planetary Boundaries Science Lab2025supportsacidification boundary
Table 6.7Statistics, treaties and rules
ReferenceIssuerYearRoleUsed for
Sea Ice Today analyses17NSIDC2025supportssea ice extent
Ice analysis2US National Ice Center2026supportsdataset differences
Global mean sea level6NASA2024supportssea level rise
State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 202622FAO2026supportsstock status
Protected Planet16UNEP-WCMC and IUCN2026supportsprotected areas
Space Environment Report 202617ESA2026supportsorbital health
Table 6.8Standards, agreements and records
ReferenceIssuerYearRoleUsed for
BBNJ Agreement status11United Nations2026supportstreaty status
Fisheries subsidies acceptances12WTO2026supportssubsidy rules
MEPC adjournment41IMO2025supportsshipping framework
Consolidated application release42NOAA2026supportsnational licensing
31st session records15International Seabed Authority2026supportsseabed rules
Advisory opinion20ITLOS2024contextocean law
Advisory opinion19International Court of Justice2025contextclimate obligations

Where the evidence agrees

  • Warming drives ice loss, sea level rise and reef stress together369
  • Sea level rise is faster than at the start of the satellite record56
  • The high seas treaty entered into force on 17 January 202611

Where it is unsettled

  • How soon reef loss spreads beyond current events9
  • How well the high seas treaty will change protection at sea1116
  • How deep-sea ecosystems would respond to nodule recovery4215

Notes

Numbers are the edition’s reference numbers, so a note reads the same in every chapter. The full list, with every source and its licence, is in Annex C. Annex C, references

  1. 11United Nations (ed.), Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (status page, UN Treaty Collection; entry into force 17 January 2026; 145 signatories and 105 parties as shown on the page when read). United Nations, New York. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  2. 12WTO (ed.), Acceptances of the Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement, Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (acceptance list; entry into force 15 September 2025; 123 acceptances; latest date shown 20 July 2026). World Trade Organization, Geneva. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  3. 41Herbert (ed.), MEPC ES2 Meeting Brief (law-firm briefing page dated 2026-01-20; adjournment of the Net-Zero Framework session by a vote of 57 in favour, 49 against and 21 abstentions after a one-year adjournment motion; opened as a pre-close source for [13]). Herbert, law-firm briefing. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  4. 23UNVERIFIED, not opened: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), cited from memory; the UN status page returned no data. United Nations, New York. Observation year 1982. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  5. 18Antarctic Treaty Secretariat (ed.), Parties to the Antarctic Treaty (58 parties, 29 consultative; treaty in force 23 June 1961). Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, Buenos Aires. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  6. 24UNVERIFIED, not opened: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991), cited from memory. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, Buenos Aires. Observation year 1991. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  7. 25UNVERIFIED, not opened: Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (1967), cited from memory. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Vienna. Observation year 1967. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  8. 42NOAA (ed.), NOAA advances review of first-ever deep seabed mining commercial recovery application (news release of 19 August 2026; application submitted 6 February 2026; found in full compliance with the information requirements of the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act; opened as a pre-close source for [14]). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  9. 15International Seabed Authority (ed.), 31st Session 2026 (session page; Council part I 9 to 19 March 2026 and part II 13 to 24 July 2026; decision titles on exploitation rules and contract extensions; decision texts not read). ISA, Kingston. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  10. 26UNVERIFIED, not opened: Treaty concerning the Archipelago of Spitsbergen (1920), cited from memory. Observation year 1920. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  11. 27UNVERIFIED, not opened: Ilulissat Declaration, Arctic Ocean Conference, 2008, cited from memory; no figure used. Observation year 2008. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  12. 39UNVERIFIED, not opened: Convention on Biological Diversity, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, decision 15/4, December 2022 (Target 3 on protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030), cited from memory. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal. Observation year 2022. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  13. 40UNVERIFIED, not opened: IMO (ed.), 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, resolution MEPC.377(80), July 2023, cited from memory; no figure used. International Maritime Organization, London. Observation year 2023. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  14. 20International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ed.), Request for an advisory opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, Case No. 31, advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 (case page; unanimous; holdings not read). ITLOS, Hamburg. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  15. 19International Court of Justice (ed.), Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, advisory opinion of 23 July 2025 (case page; documents listed; holdings not read). ICJ, The Hague. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  16. 13POST-CLOSE, context only: IMO (ed.), Marine Environment Protection Committee, second extraordinary session, adjournment of the Net-Zero Framework by 57 votes to 49 on 17 October 2025; reconvening due October 2026 (as reported by a trade news service). International Maritime Organization, London. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  17. 31UNVERIFIED, not opened: Rockström, J. et al., A safe operating space for humanity, Nature 461, 472 to 475, 2009, cited from memory. Springer Nature. Observation year 2009. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  18. 32UNVERIFIED, not opened: Richardson, K. et al., Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries, Science Advances 9, eadh2458, 2023, cited from memory. AAAS. Observation year 2023. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  19. 30UNVERIFIED, not opened: Armstrong McKay, D.I. et al., Exceeding 1.5 °C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points, Science 377, eabn7950, 2022, cited from memory. AAAS. Observation year 2022. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  20. 33UNVERIFIED, not opened: Ditlevsen, P. and Ditlevsen, S., Warning of a forthcoming collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, Nature Communications 14, 4254, 2023, cited from memory; contested in the literature. Springer Nature. Observation year 2023. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  21. 36UNVERIFIED, not opened: Sala, E. et al., Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate, Nature 592, 397 to 402, 2021, cited from memory. Springer Nature. Observation year 2021. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  22. 34UNVERIFIED, not opened: Hardin, G., The tragedy of the commons, Science 162, 1243 to 1248, 1968, cited from memory. AAAS. Observation year 1968. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  23. 35UNVERIFIED, not opened: Ostrom, E., Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1990, cited from memory. Observation year 1990. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  24. 38UNVERIFIED, not opened: Kessler, D.J. and Cour-Palais, B.G., Collision frequency of artificial satellites: the creation of a debris belt, Journal of Geophysical Research 83, 2637 to 2646, 1978, cited from memory. Observation year 1978. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  25. 3NOAA (ed.), Arctic Report Card 2025 (summary page; air temperature, sea ice, precipitation and Greenland ice sheet findings). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  26. 5WMO (ed.), 2025 set to be second or third warmest year on record (update for COP30; sea level rate from 2.1 mm a year in 1993 to 2002 to 4.1 mm a year in 2016 to 2025; over 90% of excess energy in the ocean). World Meteorological Organization, Geneva. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  27. 28UNVERIFIED, not opened: IPCC (ed.), Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, 2019, cited from memory; the IPCC page returned an access error. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva. Observation year 2019. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  28. 37UNVERIFIED, not opened: IPCC (ed.), Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, cited from memory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Observation year 2021. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  29. 9National Oceanography Centre (ed.), Global Tipping Points Report 2025 reveals first Earth system tipping point reached (summary page; warm-water reefs passing their thermal tipping point, central estimate 1.2 °C, range 1 to 1.5 °C, warming about 1.4 °C; more than 160 scientists at 87 institutions). NOC, Southampton. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  30. 10Stockholm Resilience Centre (ed.), Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached (Planetary Health Check 2025 news page of 24 September 2025; ocean acidification breached for the first time; surface pH down about 0.1 units). Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  31. 1NSIDC (ed.), Arctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for 2025 (Sea Ice Today analysis, relayed by CIRES; minimum 4.60 million km² on 10 September 2025; tenth lowest in the 47-year record). National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  32. 7NSIDC (ed.), Sea Ice Today analyses (Antarctic maximum 17.81 million km² on 17 September 2025, third lowest; Antarctic minimum 1.98 million km² on 1 March 2025, tied second lowest). National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  33. 2US National Ice Center (ed.), Arctic Sea Ice at Minimum and Maximum Extents, 2025 to 2026 (press release; USNIC 3-day minimum 4.86 million km² in September 2025; 2026 maximum 14.53 million km² on 6 to 8 March by USNIC and 14.29 million km² on 15 March by NSIDC). US National Ice Center, Suitland. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  34. 6NASA (ed.), Global Mean Sea Level (key indicator page; 115.2 mm rise since 1993; current rate 4.4 mm a year). National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Pasadena. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  35. 22UNVERIFIED, not opened: FAO (ed.), The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026, doi 10.4060/cd8357en (release 16 June 2026), figures taken from the summary page in [21]; the FAO pages read returned no figures. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03. doi:10.4060/cd8357enback
  36. 16UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (eds.), Protected Planet, marine protected areas page (areas beyond national jurisdiction 61% of the ocean; 1.45% covered by protected areas and other effective area-based measures). UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  37. 17European Space Agency (ed.), ESA Space Environment Report 2026 (report page of 14 September 2026; data to end 2025; health index from about 4 to about 50; more than 300 launches and over 4,000 payloads in 2025). ESA, Darmstadt. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back

Cite this chapter

Valadbaygi, S. (Ed.). (2026). Chapter 6: Readings from the other desks. In Strategic Systems Report 2026: Oceans, Arctic and Global Commons (Baseline Edition 2026, Report No. NR-STRATEGIC-COMMONS-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE) [Draft under review]. The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI).

Every citation form of the whole report, BibTeX and RIS included, is on the edition home. Cite this report

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