Ocean Conservancy at COP29

At this year’s COP29 in Baku, November 11-22, all eyes were on climate finance—marking what many are calling “The Finance COP.” Meeting the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C hinges on a 45% reduction in global emissions by 2030, a target that is deeply tied to the health and resilience of our ocean. Ocean Conservancy was there with a powerful agenda to drive equitable, impactful solutions that put the ocean at the heart of climate action. Our key objectives at COP29 were to:

• Elevate the ocean as a climate mitigation solution by advocating for a responsible, rapid and just transition to clean ocean energy.
• Advocate for closing the blue finance gap by expanding access to increased concessional finance, below-market-rate funding and equitable access for developing countries under the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).
• Launch the Offshore Wind NDC Guidance Tool in partnership with the Global Offshore Wind Alliance and providing a tool for policymakers to set responsible offshore wind targets into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Convene the Friends of Ocean and Climate, a coalition dedicated to bringing ocean-based climate solutions to the forefront of COP negotiations and highlighting their crucial role in achieving global climate goals.

Ocean Conservancy’s Delegation

• Anna-Marie Laura, Senior Director, Climate Policy
• Shamini Selvaratnam, Associate Director, International Climate and Clean Energy

COP29 Event Recordings

Blue Thread: Aligning National Climate and Biodiversity Strategies
Climate and ocean are intrinsically interlinked and support biodiversity and ecosystem services and sustain human livelihood. Sectoral policies and projects need to be inter-connected and institutionalized. Multi-stakeholder engagement, leadership development and start-up support are some of the merging enabling policy factors. High level speakers share their perspectives on the ways to strengthen policy and institutional frameworks to address the climate-ocean nexus.

Transitioning the Shipping Sector – Opportunities and Challenges for Our Oceans
As shipping lanes crisscross the world’s oceans, the imperative to minimise their environmental footprint becomes increasingly urgent. The session highlighted actionable insights and collaborative initiatives that can lead the way in transforming the shipping industry. This session looked at how to chart a course towards a future where maritime commerce and ocean biodiversity sail in the same direction.