By Abbas Nazil
At the upcoming New York City Climate Week on September 22, 2025, environmental organizations may call for stronger integration of the ocean into countries’ climate strategies.
The organizations include Ocean Conservancy, the Ocean & Climate Platform, and the World Resources Institute.
The initiative, known as the Blue NDC Challenge, was launched earlier this year by France and Brazil at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
It seeks to encourage governments worldwide to prioritize the ocean in their Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30, which Brazil will host from November 10 to 21, 2025.
So far, Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and the Republic of Seychelles have joined France and Brazil in pledging to embed ocean-focused solutions into their updated climate plans.
The Climate Week event will highlight progress already made and aim to convince more nations to embrace the challenge.
Dr. Fatima Candace Vahsling, vice president of Ocean Conservancy’s climate programme, stressed the urgency of the issue.
According to her, the ocean sustains global climate systems and offers real solutions to mitigate climate threats, urging governments to “think blue for this blue planet of ours.”
The event is expected to feature key speakers such as COP30 CEO Ana Toni, Ocean Conservancy CEO Janis Searles Jones, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Antha Williams, and former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, along with representatives from supporting nations and partner organizations.
By emphasizing the ocean’s vital role in regulating climate, organizers argue that global climate action cannot succeed without ocean-based solutions.
They maintain that embedding these strategies in NDCs is essential to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals and ensuring sustainable climate resilience worldwide.
