The urgent need to restore ocean health will take center stage at the upcoming UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, this June. This conference marks the first major gathering since the adoption of a landmark legal agreement aimed at conserving marine biodiversity and safeguarding ocean life. Key figures including Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for the Ocean, Alfredo Giron from the World Economic Forum’s Ocean Action Agenda, and Minna Epps, director of the Ocean Program at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, have highlighted the pressing initiatives designed to protect marine ecosystems.
According to Minna Epps, the marine biodiversity crisis is reaching a critical point. “If we don’t protect and restore the ocean, the consequences will be devastating,” she warns, emphasizing the ocean’s essential role as a climate regulator. Epps advocates for immediate cuts in carbon emissions, pointing out that increased carbon absorption makes oceans more acidic, harming marine life. Climate change has already led to phenomena like marine heat waves, which dramatically affect biodiversity; an event in Panama recently decimated 75% of coral diversity. Coral reefs, while covering less than 1% of ocean areas, are vital, supporting about 25% of marine species and serving as natural barriers against storm surges.
Peter Thomson elaborates on the dangers posed by fossil fuels, indicating they drive climate change, which is increasingly threatening marine ecosystems, elevating sea levels and causing coral deaths. He stresses the necessity of transitioning to renewable energy, calling for a swift move away from fossil fuels to an electrified world.
Highlighting humanity’s dependence on oceans, Alfredo Giron notes that our transportation, food supplies, and even communication infrastructures rely heavily on healthy marine environments. He points to offshore wind as a rapidly growing source of renewable energy and underlines the complexity of the supply chain where even a simple Amazon package’s journey involves ocean transport.
The 30×30 biodiversity initiative aims to protect and restore 30% of the ocean and land by 2030, with several countries already making significant strides toward this goal. As of now, nearly 10% of the ocean is protected, but significant work remains. Giron questions the availability of the necessary resources, legal instruments, and ambition to meet this 20% gap.
Thomson warns that if we fail to protect 30% of the planet by 2030, we risk catastrophic species extinctions, including potentially our own. He emphasizes that this commitment is not merely aspirational but essential for the health of our planet.
The upcoming conference also serves as the first UN Ocean Conference since the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, which introduces a multilateral framework for managing genetic resources and sharing technology. Thomson expresses optimism about reaching the required 60 ratifications for the Treaty to take effect by the conference.
On the private sector’s role in ocean preservation, Giron suggests a shift from seeing it as a problematic element to a potential ally in regeneration efforts. He proposes that projects such as offshore wind farms could incorporate reef-building materials to support marine life. Both he and Epps stress the importance of distinguishing between large corporations and smaller businesses to effectively achieve conservation goals.
Ultimately, the conference aims to catalyze transformative initiatives, bringing together scientific and Indigenous knowledge to forge a more sustainable future for oceans and coastal communities. As discussions progress, the hope is that the outcomes will provide a lasting legacy of action for marine biodiversity preservation.
Original Source: https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2025/06/1163771
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Publish Date: 2025-06-06 17:30:00
