The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which opened on Monday in Nice, brings together global leaders to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as the environmental emergency demands coordinated and ambitious responses.
Bringing together heads of state, experts, financial institutions, NGOs, and maritime sector stakeholders to drive solutions in the face of threats to the oceans, this conference is part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Key topics of discussion include combating plastic pollution, overfishing, ocean acidification, and the effects of climate change.
UNOC3 thus positions itself as a strategic meeting to strengthen global ocean governance, promote international cooperation, drive concrete solutions to climate, ecological, and economic crises, and promote tangible commitments to marine biodiversity.
The ocean, a global issue at the heart of environmental and socio-economic crises
This global summit, the third of its kind following the editions in New York in 2017 and Lisbon in 2022, aims to enable policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from various backgrounds to confront together the crucial challenges facing the oceans, the true blue lungs of the planet.
The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and contains 97% of the planet’s water resources. It plays a vital role in regulating the climate by absorbing about 90% of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gases since the pre-industrial era, according to data presented at this conference.
Moreover, over 3 billion people depend directly on the ocean for their food, employment, and livelihoods, highlighting its vital importance.
However, this resource is currently threatened by several alarming phenomena, such as ocean acidity, which has increased by 30% since the pre-industrial era, with a possible jump to 170% by 2100. Ocean temperatures reached record levels in 2023 and 2024, exacerbating these trends.
Additionally, there is a growing rise in sea levels, which increased from 1.3 mm to 3.7 mm per year between 1901 and 2018. This trend is expected to continue, with estimates ranging from 30 to 110 cm by 2100 depending on different climate scenarios.
Marine ecosystems in danger: marine biodiversity severely affected
About half of the living coral reefs have disappeared since the 1870s, a destruction that is accelerating due to climate change. A global increase of 2 °C would lead to the disappearance of 99% of corals, jeopardizing essential habitats for marine biodiversity.
Marine protected areas currently shelter 72% of the 1,500 threatened marine species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is estimated that one-third of sharks, rays, and chimeras are currently threatened, mainly due to overfishing.
A growing blue economy, but under pressure
The ocean-related economy represents a major lever for sustainable development, but it is also under significant pressure. Global fishery and aquaculture production reached a record 223.2 million tons in 2022, of which 92.3 million were from marine fishing, especially since the sector employs 61.8 million people worldwide, according to the same source.
The value of global exports of aquatic animal products reached $195 billion in 2022, while global average consumption stands at 20.7 kg per person.
However, 37.3% of marine fish stocks are overexploited, and illegal fishing is estimated to account for between 10 and 26 million tons per year, or up to 19% of global catches.
Maritime transport, which accounts for 80% of the volume of global trade, remains energy-efficient (20 times better than road transport), but still generates 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, an increase of 20% over the past decade, according to data published at the conference.
Although the blue economy generates an estimated annual added value of $1.5 trillion, SDG 14 related to oceans remains one of the least funded of the 2030 Agenda, it is lamented, although innovative solutions are emerging: renewable marine energies (such as offshore wind or tidal energy), marine biotechnologies, digitalization of ocean monitoring… all promising avenues to reconcile blue growth and sustainability.
An ambitious program for concrete commitments
On the sidelines of UNOC3, the organizers, aware of the specificities of each territory, plan a multitude of parallel events to deepen tailored strategies.
The program includes the Africa Summit for the Ocean, co-chaired by Morocco and France, bringing together African states and financial institutions around the sustainable management of marine resources and infrastructure development.
A Global Forum of Island Nations and the Connected Mediterranean Summit, dedicated to maritime, land, and energy connectivity, are also planned.
The conference will finally be marked by the launch of flagship projects, the announcement of international commitments for the preservation of marine areas, and the signing of cooperation agreements to strengthen ocean forecasting and digital governance of the oceans.
Co-organized by France and Costa Rica, under the auspices of the United Nations, this conference is held under the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”
MAP Ecology