Carrying forward ocean-centred roadmaps on energy, forests, and finance is essential to translate climate ambition into durable, science-aligned action
This piece is part of the series 'Governing the Oceans: Rethinking Access and Equity'
The need to strengthen the ocean-climate nexus within the Roadmaps proposed by the COP30 Presidency, presented at the end of last year in Brazil, is not only urgent but strategic for the effectiveness of global climate governance. At a time when part of the world seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and turn commitments into concrete action, it is becoming increasingly clear that any robust climate strategy must recognise the ocean’s central role in the functioning of the Earth’s climate system. Ignoring this connection means neglecting one of the greatest natural allies in addressing the climate crisis.
One of the pillars presented is the Roadmap for the Energy Transition away from fossil fuels. This instrument has strong potential to signal political ambition and guide climate action by governments as well as non-state actors such as companies, financial institutions, and civil society. Roadmaps like this operate strategically: they indicate the direction of the global energy transition, help coordinate efforts across sectors, and contribute to creating political and economic predictability in a transformation process involving trillions of dollars in investment.
However, this global energy transition also has profound implications for the ocean. The burning of fossil fuels is the primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet and, consequently, the seas. The ocean absorbs around 90 percent of the excess heat generated by global warming and approximately one-quarter of carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere. This extraordinary environmental service has helped buffer the most extreme impacts of climate change. Yet this process has limits. Rising ocean temperatures, acidification, and oxygen loss are rapidly transforming marine ecosystems, affecting everything from coral reefs to entire food chains, and putting the food security of millions of people at risk.
Explicitly integrating the ocean into energy transition strategies is not only an environmental matter, but also an economic and social one.
For this reason, explicitly integrating the ocean into energy transition strategies is not only an environmental matter, but also an economic and social one. Sectors such as fisheries, coastal tourism, maritime transport, and offshore energy depend directly on the health of marine ecosystems. Ensuring that the energy transition considers the impacts and opportunities related to the ocean, such as sustainable energy sources, is essential to guarantee that this process is not only fast but also fair and sustainable.
Another central axis presented by the COP30 Presidency is the Roadmap for Zero Deforestation. Although this debate is traditionally associated with terrestrial tropical forests such as the Amazon, it also has a coastal and marine dimension that is often overlooked. Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows play a fundamental role in carbon sequestration and storage — the so-called “blue carbon.” These natural environments, or coastal forests, are among the most efficient natural carbon sinks on the planet, capable of storing large amounts of carbon over long periods in their soils and sediments.
Beyond their role in climate mitigation, these ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services for climate adaptation. Mangroves and salt marshes are frontline defences. Studies show that coastal areas protected by mangroves can suffer up to 30 percent less storm damage, saving billions in losses. Their dense root systems can reduce wave energy by as much as 75 percent, buffering communities against erosion and sea-level rise. At the same time, these ecosystems underpin global food security: more than half of commercially important fish species depend on them at some stage of their life cycle. For many coastal communities, especially in the Global South, mangroves are infrastructure, livelihoods, and protection all in one.
By expanding the definition of forests and recognising the role of coastal ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, policymakers can unlock new public policies, financing mechanisms, and conservation instruments that deliver simultaneous gains for climate mitigation, biodiversity protection, and local communities.
Not by chance, mangroves have come to be recognised as forests in several international climate finance initiatives. An important example is the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which includes mangroves within its scope of protection and valuation.
By expanding the definition of forests and recognising the role of coastal ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, policymakers can unlock new public policies, financing mechanisms, and conservation instruments that deliver simultaneous gains for climate mitigation, biodiversity protection, and local communities.
The COP30 Presidency has also placed at the centre of the international debate a decisive issue for the success of climate action: finance. Mobilising financial resources at a sufficient scale to tackle the climate crisis remains one of the greatest challenges of global governance. Developing countries, particularly those with extensive coastal zones and high dependence on marine resources, face enormous difficulties in accessing adequate climate finance.
Historically, the ocean agenda has received only a very small share of climate funding. It is estimated that less than 2 percent of global climate finance is directed toward ocean-based solutions such as blue carbon ecosystems and offshore renewables. This gap is particularly concerning, considering the enormous potential of ocean solutions to contribute to both climate mitigation and adaptation. The Communiqué of the Oceans20 and the UNFCCC Ocean Climate Dialogues reinforce the need for specific blue finance mechanisms to enable Ocean-Based Climate and Conservation Solutions. Proposals such as the creation of blue finance windows in multilateral funds, the use of blended finance instruments, blue bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, and ocean investment protocols, as well as initiatives such as the debate on One Ocean Finance, indicate a field in consolidation.
Recognising the centrality of the ocean in global climate strategies can help strengthen synergies among different multilateral agendas. The implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the recently adopted Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) share common objectives related to ecosystem protection and the sustainable use of marine resources. Integrating these agendas through coherent and complementary strategies can significantly increase the effectiveness of global ocean and climate policies.
In this context, sustainable ocean management initiatives, such as marine spatial planning and marine protected areas, can reduce conflicts among ocean uses, promote the sustainable development of the blue economy, and ensure the conservation of areas critical for biodiversity. According to UNESCO-IOC, 126 countries/territories are currently engaged in MSP initiatives and the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy counts 19 world leaders who have joined together on the mission of sustainably managing 100 percent of the ocean area under national jurisdictions. Further, investments in offshore renewable energy can accelerate the energy transition while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Strengthening the ocean-climate connection also means recognising the role of coastal communities, Indigenous peoples, and artisanal fishers in the sustainable management of marine ecosystems.
Moreover, strengthening the ocean-climate connection also means recognising the role of coastal communities, Indigenous peoples, and artisanal fishers in the sustainable management of marine ecosystems. A world-wide recognised example is Brazil’s Marine Extractive Reserves (RESEX) with a governance framework based on Deliberative Councils, where communities have formal decision-making power. Local communities hold traditional knowledge and management practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation and the resilience of socioecological systems. Integrating these perspectives into climate and ocean policies is essential to ensure fair, inclusive, and lasting solutions.
At the COP30 in Brazil, the ocean was brought to the forefront and significantly strengthened within the international climate agenda. With one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, an extensive coastline, and a rich diversity of marine and coastal ecosystems, Brazil has shown that climate and ocean policies can — and should — go hand in hand as part of a coherent strategy to tackle the climate crisis.
Carrying this legacy forward will be essential to aligning climate action with scientific evidence and the planet’s biophysical limits, helping to build a safer, more resilient, and more sustainable future in the lead-up to COP31.
Dr. Marinez Eymael Garcia Scherer holds a PhD in Marine Sciences and is a professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil. She is also the Special Envoy for the Ocean at COP30 and the co-chair of the IOC/UNESCO Working Group on Sustainable Ocean Planning and Management.
The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.
Marinez Scherer is the COP30 Special Envoy for the Ocean, holds a PhD in Marine Sciences, and is a professor at the Federal University of ...
Read More +
PREV
