COP29 Ocean Day Reflections
The ocean took center stage at COP29, highlighting incredible progress in driving climate action and building resilience. From innovative solutions to protect and restore vital ecosystems like mangroves to advancing ocean ambition in national climate plans, the events underscored the ocean’s essential role in achieving global climate goals.
Ocean Day featured a series of engaging events, including panel discussions and high-level dialogues, showcasing the breadth of action underway to protect and sustain the ocean. These dynamic sessions demonstrated the power of collaboration to advance innovative ocean solutions, brought to life through the collective efforts of diverse partners. A few event highlights include:
Ocean Breakthroughs: Towards Resilient Economies and Societies
Organized by the Ocean & Climate Platform on behalf of the Marrakech Partnership on Ocean & Coastal Zones and the High-Level Climate Champions, this session explored the ocean’s immense potential as a source of actionable solutions to address climate, biodiversity, social, and sustainable development goals by 2030. It also charted the path toward a healthy, productive, and resilient ocean by 2050. Additionally, the event highlighted progress on the Mangrove Breakthrough since its launch at COP27, underscoring the critical role of mangroves in driving climate action and resilience.
Mangrove in NDCs: Scaling up Implementation for People, Climate and Nature – A critical discussion on embedding mangrove conservation and restoration into national climate commitments.
Organized by The Pew Charitable Trusts, FAO, the Mangrove Breakthrough NDC Task Force, the High-Level Climate Champions Team, and the Global Mangrove Alliance, this event emphasized the critical role of including mangrove-positive targets in countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It showcased how these targets can serve as powerful catalysts to drive action, unlock finance for mangrove conservation and restoration, and amplify contributions to climate mitigation efforts.
Achieving the Mangrove Breakthrough: Scaling Global Action on Mangrove Restoration and Protection
This joint event, hosted by the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) and the Mangrove Breakthrough, built on the momentum from COP28 to highlight progress in key partnerships and initiatives driving action for mangrove conservation and restoration. As a transformative effort at the intersection of conservation, science, finance, and policy, the Mangrove Breakthrough continues to advance impactful solutions for mangrove ecosystems worldwide.
The Implementation Lab – Ocean Breakthroughs for 1.5°C: Scaling Ambition in NDCs
Organized by Ocean Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean & Climate Platform, FAO, EDF, and the Climate Champions Team, this Implementation Lab focused on the role of NDCs in advancing ocean climate action. The session explored strategies to integrate ambitious ocean-based solutions that align with the 1.5°C target. Participants discussed key challenges and actions required to accelerate the Ocean Breakthroughs, ensuring that the next round of NDCs includes bold, impactful, and equitable commitments for the ocean.
As the world faces the growing impacts of climate change, the momentum generated at COP29 reinforces that protecting the ocean is not only an environmental imperative but also a foundation for building a sustainable and resilient future for all.
Written by: Luz Gil, Climate and Ocean Advisor at the Nature Conservancy
