Ocean Wins

There is no path to halting climate change without scaling up offshore wind, and Ocean Conservancy has been a key player in advancing this solution at the international level. At the global climate conference in late 2023 in Dubai (the UN Conference of Parties’ 28th gathering, or COP28), our intensive advocacy secured a change that will have international ramifications for decades to come. Thanks to Ocean Conservancy, the “report card” that nations use to track progress on their climate goals will now include clean ocean energy like offshore wind (OSW) as a key measure of progress. This ensures that nations are accountable for OSW’s responsible, rapid and just development. In 2024, we continued pushing the international community to act by releasing a first-of-its-kind analysis on the affordable financing of OSW in nations least able to afford it. At COP29 in Azerbaijan this November, the so-called “finance COP,” we called for the international community to commit to the funding necessary for developing countries to responsibly deploy offshore wind and other ocean-climate solutions.

In early 2024, researchers from Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto shared the results of startling new research, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, which found microplastics in 88% of protein samples tested. The samples were drawn from 16 different protein types destined for U.S. consumers, including seafood, pork, beef, chicken, tofu and three different plant-based meat alternatives. There were no statistical differences in microplastic concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins, suggesting that humans are likely eating microplastics no matter what protein they choose. To date, there had been little research into whether microplastics enter the filets of the fish—the parts that are actually eaten by people—and little research into terrestrial protein sources like beef and chicken that make up a large part of the American diet. The study was covered in major news outlets like The Washington Post and PBS.

In 2024, we upheld legislative safeguards that prevent oil drilling in sensitive Arctic environments. Ocean Conservancy and our partners prevented the passage of legislation that included mandatory oil and gas leasing. We also launched a new campaign in partnership with Oceans North aiming to win an international agreement not to ship through, or mine from, Central Arctic Ocean waters. In an early win, Canada had already signaled support for our goals. This builds on our previous success negotiating a similar international agreement not to fish in these waters to protect this ocean that lies at the heart of the Arctic.

Our work organizing the International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC), now in its 40th year, connects more than 485,000 volunteers annually to gather trash from our beaches and shores. Hands-on, individual actions for safe and healthy coastlines add up to a robust and thriving international movement. In 2024, thanks to a new partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Ocean Conservancy took our effort to the next level and removed Large Marine Debris from U.S. coastal waters and supported efforts by communities around the country to supercharge cleanup efforts. In addition to the unfathomable human and animal toll of recent hurricanes, the ensuing flooding marked the largest mass dumping of trash into the ocean in recent memory. Ocean Conservancy is here for the long haul to support coastal communities as they clean up and rebuild.