COP31 Must Deliver for Our Ocean

Our ocean is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, but it is also where communities are adapting, and major opportunities for a clean energy transition are emerging. As world leaders prepare to gather in Antalya, Turkey for COP31, it is clearer than ever that our ocean belongs in the climate conversation.

A joint letter from the Friends of the Ocean and Climate, backed by 105 countries and delivered to the COP31 Presidencies, makes clear exactly what’s necessary to position our ocean as true climate solution.

Blue NDCs: Turning plans into progress

A major ocean-climate spotlight at COP31 will be on the “blue NDCs”—or countries are including ocean priorities in their national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions—NDCs). These countries are starting to participate in the Blue NDC Challenge—a global coalition of countries working together to turn their ocean-related climate commitments into real action and projects.

To do it, countries need stronger pipelines of investment-ready projects, easier access to public and concessional finance and smarter use of blended finance to unlock private investment where appropriate.

All too often, ocean-climate finance is fragmented across issues like biodiversity, energy, infrastructure and development, but coastal communities do not experience those issues in separate boxes.The ocean does not operate in silos, and our finance system should not either. At COP31, Ocean Conservancy is helping move the conversation from ambition to implementation. Through the Blue NDC Challenge Implementation Taskforce, we are working to connect countries with the technical expertise, partnerships and financing needed to deliver on their ocean-climate priorities.

Clean energy transition is moving offshore

Another ocean-climate spotlight is on the clean energy transition. Offshore wind and other marine renewable technologies can support clean electricity, energy security, jobs and economic development.

But scaling offshore renewables responsibly means getting the fundamentals right: marine spatial planning, grid infrastructure, permitting, biodiversity safeguards and affordable finance. The goal is not simply more offshore energy. It is better offshore energy. That means energy development that supports climate goals while protecting ocean health and coastal communities.

At the same time, a credible offshore energy transition cannot only be about building what comes next. It also has to address what we are moving away from. For countries that produce offshore oil and gas, the transition raises difficult questions around future development, decommissioning, workers, communities, economic diversification and energy security. Those conversations will look different in every country, but they can no longer be avoided.

That is why Ocean Conservancy is launching the Offshore Transition Initiative at COP31. As part of the UNFCCC Global Climate Action Agenda, the initiative will bring governments, experts and other partners together to share knowledge, tackle practical challenges and explore how countries can plan a fair, orderly and responsible transition away from offshore fossil fuels. A real offshore transition means building the clean energy future while planning responsibly for the fossil fuel system we are leaving behind.

What does success at COP31 look like for our ocean?

Success in Antalya should not be measured by how many times the ocean is mentioned in speeches, but rather it should be measured by what tangibly moves forward.

Do Blue NDC priorities get closer to implementation? Does finance become easier to access? Can responsible offshore renewables expand, including in emerging markets? And does the transition away from offshore fossil fuels become part of the broader climate implementation agenda?

The ocean-climate connection has never been stronger or more widely understood. COP31 has a real opportunity to turn countries’ blue commitments into global action.