STATEMENT: Joint Letter From 105 Countries Calls on COP31 to Put the Ocean at the Heart of Climate Action

NADI, FIJI — The Friends of the Ocean and Climate, a global coalition of Parties committed to advancing sustainable ocean-based climate action within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), this week delivered a joint letter to the Presidencies of the 31st Conference of Parties (COP31). The letter calls for COP31 to move beyond recognition of the ocean’s importance to climate action and toward systematically integrating sustainable ocean-based solutions across implementation of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. It was delivered during the Pacific Pre-COP31, a preparatory ministerial meeting held in advance of the global climate negotiations, which concluded this week. 

Since the Friends of the Ocean and Climate coalition was established in 2019, Ocean Conservancy has served as the Secretariat, convening members and facilitating discussions. The group championed the establishment of the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue and has supported efforts to strengthen the ocean’s place in key climate processes, including the Global Stocktake, a critical review process that evaluates the world’s collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals.

With COP31 placing renewed attention on implementation, Friends of the Ocean and Climate are highlighting an exceptional opportunity to ensure the ocean is not treated as a standalone issue, but integrated across the mechanisms, initiatives and processes that are already driving progress under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

The Joint Letter, delivered by the Honorable Inia Seruiratu MP, COP31 Pacific Climate Envoy for the Ocean on behalf of the Friends of the Ocean and Climate, can be found here. 

“The ocean is not a special interest or a standalone issue — it is central to our economy, food and energy security, and to combating the climate crisis. This powerful Joint Letter sends a clear message from governments: we need to embed sustainable ocean-based climate action across the UNFCCC architecture and back that ambition with access to finance, science, technology and capacity building,” said Fatima Candace Vahlsing, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President, Climate.

“We find ourselves at the crest of an important wave. We are past the halfway mark of the UN decade for oceans, and COP31 is only weeks away. This is our moment to make sure the oceans are integrated across mitigation, adaptation, finance, and implementation objectives, not as a side theme, but as a key dimension of climate action,” said Inia Seruiratu, COP31 Pacific Climate Envoy for the Ocean.

“Ireland may be a small island, but it is a large ocean nation, with a maritime area seven times the size of our land territory. The ocean is central to our climate ambitions and future energy security. Our first Designated Maritime Area Plan, for the South Coast, demonstrates how strategic marine planning can enable the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy alongside marine protection, through meaningful engagement with coastal communities. We are now building on this foundation with a national offshore energy plan covering the majority of our extensive maritime area. As EU Council Presidency, Ireland will work to ensure that COP31 delivers an outcome that translates growing recognition of the ocean’s role in climate action into tangible outcomes and accelerated implementation,” said Philip Nugent, Director General for Climate, Energy and Marine, Government of Ireland.

The list of over 100 Parties joining the statement include:

• The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN)
• Brazil
• Canada
• Cook Islands
• The European Union (EU) and its 27 member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden)
• Federated States of Micronesia 
• Fiji
• Iceland
• Indonesia
• Kiribati
• Maldives
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Nauru
• Niue
• Norway
• Palau 
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of Indonesia
• Republic of Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• United Kingdom (UK)
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu

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For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.