World leaders, government officials and representatives from the private sector and civil society gathered in New York September 16 to 22 for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week and New York Climate Week. The focus was clear: climate action, transitioning to cleaner energy, advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and preparing for COP28 (the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference). 

Our team from Ocean Conservancy was right in the mix, meeting with governments and engaging in more than 30 events in just five days. We advocated for solutions to tackle climate change and biodiversity crises, all while promoting a healthy and resilient ocean.  

We delved into these discussions with the stark backdrop of an unfolding climate catastrophe, as 2023 is predicted to be the warmest year on record. However, there was a ripple of hope as maritime-focused meetings underscored the intrinsic connection between our oceans and climate. We attended the UN High-Level Ocean Meeting, initiated by the United Nations Global Compact and the Ocean Stewardship Coalition. It was heartening to see heads of state, ministers, the private sector and civil society joining forces to discuss pathways for a sustainable ocean economy. 

A high point of the week was the UN Climate Ambition Summit, where UN Secretary-General António Guterres rebuked the slow pace of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables. The plea from climate-vulnerable nations to phase out fossil fuels echoed throughout the United Nations corridors and beyond. This is critical—because the ocean is at the center of two major growth areas for fossil fuels—offshore oil production and plastics. Across various forums, our team championed the need for a responsible, rapid and just transition away from offshore oil and gas to clean-ocean energy, like offshore wind. We also highlighted the critical importance of reducing plastic production to fight climate change and the ocean pollution crisis—highlighting the results of new research from Ocean Conservancy and Planet Tracker on a virtual panel targeting investors who are thinking about how to reduce these threats. We worked to highlight the connection between climate and plastics throughout the week at events aimed at convening governments and advocates around priorities for the next round of negotiations on the global plastics treaty coming up in November 2023.  

The message throughout was unambiguous: We need to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors to achieve the ambitious goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. In line with this, Ocean Conservancy, in its role as the Offshore Renewable Energy Sector Lead for the UNFCCC’s Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action, Ocean and Coastal Zones, championed an Ocean Breakthrough initiative which calls for the allocation of $10 billion in concessional finance for developing countries to deploy offshore wind.  

We joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance Breakfast Roundtable, which brought together ministers, government leaders, industry, investors and civil society on financing offshore wind globally. As the only conservation organization in the room, we made the case that in the fight against climate change, concessional finance for offshore wind projects in developing countries is critical, and so are biodiversity guardrails, representing a path forward that aligns both environmental and economic progress. 

The week also saw candid discussions on the economic ramifications of climate inaction. The call for companies and investors to report the risks they face from climate change, the need to end harmful fossil fuel subsidies and the imperative to foster public-private partnerships for green transitions were common threads across different forums. The emphasis on aligning private-sector business models with global biodiversity goals was a recurring theme. Ocean Conservancy is helping co-author principles for net-positive impact on biodiversity for offshore wind, which will be launched at the upcoming UN climate talks at COP28. 

A milestone achievement for the ocean was the signing of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty. After two decades, the BBNJ Treaty to safeguard life in the ocean beyond national jurisdiction (also known as the High Seas), which covers half the planet, was officially signed by more than 75 countries. The signing symbolizes the commitment of countries to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions, aligning with broader global sustainability and ocean conservation goals. The Ocean Race Summit added another layer of advocacy for our ocean by presenting a petition to the UN General Assembly calling for a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights.  

We wrapped up the week with a sense of global solidarity. The discussions, pledges and shared vision for a sustainable future reaffirmed the urgency to act against the unfolding climate crisis. The stakes are high, and inaction is not an option. If we fail, we leave our children an ocean that is boiling and a planet that is burning and flooding. Together, with actionable commitments, we can and we must steer our planet towards a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future, ensuring a thriving ocean for all. And this is exactly what Ocean Conservancy will be advancing at COP28, Dubai, in December.