SEO Riders
– Countries Pressed to Embed Ocean Protections in NDCs Before COP30
– Ocean Conservancy, WRI, Ocean & Climate Platform Lead Global Push in New York Climate Week
– France, Brazil and First Signatories Commit to Blue-NDC to Tackle Climate Crisis from Seas
At an upcoming event during New York Climate Week on September 22, 2025, Ocean Conservancy, the Ocean & Climate Platform, and the World Resources Institute (WRI) are calling on nations to significantly strengthen ocean-centered components in their climate strategies—specifically in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The call is part of the Blue NDC Challenge, an initiative launched earlier in 2025 by France and Brazil at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. The goal is to ensure that ocean-based climate actions—such as the conservation of marine ecosystems, blue carbon habitats, and regulation of ocean pollution—take center stage in updated NDCs ahead of COP30 (scheduled for November 10-21, 2025 in Brazil).
So far, several countries have pledged to rise to the challenge—alongside France and Brazil, Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and the Republic of Seychelles have committed to integrating ocean actions in their climate plans. The forum will showcase progress so far and spotlight concrete policy options governments can adopt: from restoring mangroves and coral reefs, protecting marine biodiversity, to aligning ocean conservation with climate mitigation and adaptation targets. Key speakers include high-profile climate and ocean leaders, like Ana Toni (COP30 CEO) and Dr. Fatima Candace Vahsling (Vice President of Ocean Conservancy), urging a “blue turn” in climate policy.
