Still a Deep Dive Ahead

Recently, from June 9-13, 2025, the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) was held in Nice, France, building on the momentum of previous ocean summits in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022). The summit was attended by 15,000 delegates, including more than 60 heads of state, signifying the commitment of member nations to protecting oceans as part of climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The conference focused on accelerating action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, as mandated by Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14). The UN Ocean Conferences have played a significant role in raising awareness, fostering international cooperation, and advancing policies for ocean conservation and climate governance.

Despite the fact that oceans cover over 70 per cent of the planet and produce at least 50 per cent of the Earth’s oxygen, little had actually been done until the beginning of this century toward the sustainable use and protection of oceans. Increasing pollution, habitat destruction, degradation of seas, depletion of fish stocks and other marine life, and the loss of livelihoods of millions of people dependent on them continue to be significant challenges. Jack O’Connor, a United Nations University expert (unu.edu/series/6-facts), introduces six facts about the ocean and its relationship with life and livelihoods:

a) They are natural climate regulators by virtue of their biology, ecology, and marine ecosystems;

b) they are home to the most life on Earth;

c) about 120 million people rely directly on its resources;

d) they are the main source of protein for over a billion people;

e) over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods; and

f) climate change is altering the temperature, acidity, and oxygen levels in the ocean, damaging biomass and biodiversity.

He stresses the urgent need to protect and preserve the ocean and all it sustains in an inclusive way—through regulating plastic use, banning illegal fishing practices, and addressing unregulated value chains.

In 2009, a team of scientists headed by Johan Rockström identified nine important processes that regulate the stability and resilience of Earth systems and suggested boundaries for anthropogenic activity to avoid irreversible environmental changes. Of the nine tipping points the scientists associate with climate change and irreversible damage to the planet, ocean acidification is a key process. It has altered ocean chemistry and decreased the pH of seawater, leading to a dearth of carbonate ions necessary for many marine species. According to the WMO State of the Global Climate 2024 report, the heat content of the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocean rose by 16 zettajoules during 2023–24, which is about 140 times the world’s annual total electricity generation.

The UNOC3 concluded on a promising note with a unanimous declaration underscoring the need for sustained global action to strengthen multilateralism as the way forward—from completing agreements like the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ), to mobilising finance, enhancing marine science, and galvanising Ocean Action Panels involving state actors, NGOs, scientists, and businesses through fostering coalitions. The conference’s outcome, known as the Nice Ocean Action Plan, is a two-part framework comprising a political declaration and over 800 voluntary commitments by governments, scientists, UN agencies, and civil society since the previous conference.

The European Commission promised Euro 1 billion to support ocean conservation, science, and sustainable fishing, while French Polynesia pledged to create the world’s largest marine protected area, encompassing its entire exclusive economic zone of about five million square kilometres. Germany launched a Euro 100-million programme to remove underwater munitions from the Baltic and North Seas, while New Zealand committed USD 52 million to strengthen ocean governance in the Pacific. Spain announced five new marine protected areas. A 37-country coalition led by Panama and Canada launched the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean to tackle underwater noise pollution. Meanwhile, Indonesia and the World Bank introduced a ‘Coral Bond’ to help finance reef conservation in the country.

However, it remains to be seen how sincerely these commitments will be met before the next UNOC4 in 2028. One of the chief objectives of the summit—accelerating the process on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty 2023—is yet to be ratified by 60 more countries before it can be brought into force.

Though the summit was charged with enthusiasm and celebration, concerns remained high on various counts. SDG 14 aimed to protect 10 per cent of the oceans by 2020—a target that member nations have failed to meet. The UNOC3 resolution Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action now sets a new benchmark of 30 per cent protection by 2030. The absence of a senior US delegation, the deep-sea mining policies of the US, and the failure to fully implement agreements like the BBNJ, the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, and the forthcoming Global Plastics Treaty were major disappointments. Incidentally, while China was responsible for 32 per cent of global plastic material production in 2021 (Statista), a recent study revealed that India tops the list of countries contributing to plastic pollution in oceans with 126.5 million kg, followed by China (70.7 million kg), Indonesia (53.3 million kg), Brazil (38 million kg), and Thailand (22.8 million kg).

French President Emmanuel Macron and President Chaves of Costa Rica called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can assess the risks, but the call failed to find a place in the final declaration. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) insisted on equitable treatment and support with regard to loss and damage caused by climate change—impacts beyond what the people of SIDS can adapt to.

Protection of oceans requires a multi-pronged strategy supported by liberal financing. Restoring ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs—often termed “blue carbon” habitats—is vital, since, as the World Resources Institute notes, these ecosystems can store five times more carbon than tropical forests and absorb carbon three times faster. Addressing ocean pollution—both from runoff due to nonpoint source pollution (septic tanks, vehicles, farms, livestock ranches, and timber harvest areas), plastic waste, and from single sources, i.e., point source pollution such as oil spills or industrial discharge—calls for country-specific plans with financial and technical support from developed countries.

Supporting coastal habitats is another priority, as they are home to over 680 million people, mostly from developing nations, who constitute a vulnerable population. Expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is essential for conserving habitats and ecosystems. Currently, MPAs cover 8.34 per cent of the ocean—a significant increase from 2000—but further expansion is critical. According to the Ocean Panel (comprising 14 world leaders and led by Norway), ocean-based solutions can deliver up to 35 per cent of the reductions needed by 2050 to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, but this requires an additional USD 1 trillion in finance by 2030, increasing to USD 2 trillion by 2050.

When the signatories to the Paris Agreement keep failing in emissions reductions, the least they can do is compensate by focusing on ocean-based solutions. Nation-specific roadmaps, along with multilateral cooperation, are the way forward to make our oceans resilient.

The writer is a former Addl. Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh. Views expressed are personal