170 nations in Nice commit to expand marine protected areas, combat pollution
The political declaration titled 'Our ocean, Our future: United for urgent action' calls for concrete steps to expand marine protected areas, decarbonise maritime transport, combat marine pollution, and mobilise finance for vulnerable coastal and island nations, among others.
The declaration -- together with bold voluntary commitments by states and other entities -- constitutes the Nice Ocean Action Plan, successfully concluding the five-day conference with a boost to environmental multilateralism.
'Pledges made this week must be rigorously implemented, tracked, and scaled,' said United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, who served as the conference Secretary-General.
'The momentum we have generated must carry us forward to COP30, global and regional ocean forums, and national decision-making, and translate into decisive national action.'
Voluntary commitments made during the conference include: The European Commission, as part of its Ocean Pact, announced an investment of 1 billion EUR to support ocean conservation, science and sustainable fishing.
French Polynesia pledged to create the world's largest marine protected area to safeguard its seas, covering its entire exclusive economic zone, approximately 5 million square km (1.93 million square miles).
New Zealand committed over $52 million towards supporting enhanced ocean governance, management and science in the Pacific Islands region.
Germany launched a 100 million EUR immediate action programme for the recovery and clearance of legacy munitions in the German Baltic and North Seas -- the first of its kind.
Indonesia, the World Bank and other partners launched a Coral Bond, a groundbreaking financial instrument designed to mobilise private capital to conserve coral reef ecosystems within marine protected areas in Indonesia.
Thirty-seven countries, led by Panama and Canada, launched the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean -- the first high-level political initiative to tackle ocean noise pollution on a global scale.
Italy committed 6.5 million EUR to strengthen surveillance by the Coast Guard in marine protected areas and on oil platforms, including through a satellite surveillance system capable of detecting potential oil spills in real time.
Canada contributed 9 million US dollars to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance to help Small Island Developing States and coastal developing countries increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change through nature-based solutions.
Spain committed to creating five new marine protected areas that would allow protection of 25 per cent of its marine territory.
A collective of United Nations agencies and global partners launched a co-design process for One Ocean Finance -- a bold new effort to unlock billions in new financing from ocean-dependent industries and blue economy sectors.
A United Nations Ocean Conference report, listing the voluntary commitments in an annex, will be published after the summit.
In a big step towards entry into force of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), 19 more states ratified the agreement in the margins of the conference, and 20 more signed it, bringing the total number of signatures to 136, and ratifications to 50 states plus the European Union.
Ten more ratifications are needed for the agreement to enter into force.
The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in June 2023, is a crucial legal instrument to protect marine life and ecosystems in the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond any country's jurisdiction.
From June 9 to 13, as many as 55 heads of state and government, along with 15,000 participants from civil society, business, and science, participated in the UN Ocean Conference co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, including more than 450 side events, to accelerate action and mobilise all actors to conserve and sustainably use the world's oceans.
Ten ocean action panels produced forward-looking recommendations to guide implementation across key themes -- from marine pollution and nature-based solutions to the role of women, youth, and indigenous peoples in ocean governance.
The fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028 will be co-hosted by Chile and Korea.
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NDTV
22 minutes ago
- NDTV
The Cost Of Carbon Credits And How They Can Fight Climate Change
Brussels: The European Commission has proposed an EU climate target for 2040 that allows countries to count carbon credits bought from developing nations towards the EU goal for the first time. Here's what that means, and why the EU move on Wednesday faced criticism from campaigners and some scientists. What Are Carbon Credits? Carbon credits, or offsets, involve funding projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad in place of cuts to your own greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration in Brazil, or converting a city's petrol buses to electric. The buyer counts "credits" for those emission reductions towards its climate goal, and the seller gets finance for their green project. Proponents say the system generates much-needed funding for CO2-cutting efforts in developing nations and lets countries work together to cut emissions around the world. However, the reputation of CO2 credits has been dented by a string of scandals in which credit-generating projects failed to deliver the climate benefits they claimed. Why Is The EU Buying Them? The European Commission proposed allowing up to 3 percentage points of the EU's 2040 target - to cut net emissions by 90% from 1990 levels - to be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries. The EU's existing climate targets require countries to meet the goals entirely by cutting emissions at home. The bloc's executive Commission said last year it hoped the EU could agree a 90% emissions-cutting target for 2040, with no mention of carbon credits. Tumultuous geopolitics and the economic challenges of European industries have since stoked political pushback, with governments from Germany to Poland demanding a softer target. In response, the Commission said it would add flexibilities, and landed on carbon credits as a way to retain a 90% emissions-cutting goal while reducing the domestic steps needed to reach it. EU countries and the European Parliament must negotiate and approve the goal. What Are The Risks? The EU plan was welcomed by countries including Germany, which had pushed to include carbon credits in the goal, and by carbon credit project developers as a boost for climate finance. But environmental campaigners said the EU was shirking domestic CO2-cutting efforts and warned against relying on cheap, low-value credits. The EU's climate science advisers had also opposed buying credits under the 2040 target, which they said would divert money from investments in local clean industries. The EU banned international credits from its own carbon market after a flood of cheap credits with weak environmental benefits contributed to a carbon price crash. To try to address the risks, the Commission said it would buy credits in line with a global market and rules for trading carbon credits which the U.N. is developing. These include quality standards aimed at avoiding the problems that unregulated credit trading has faced in recent years. Brussels will also propose rules next year on specific quality standards for the carbon credits the EU buys. How Much Will It Cost? The EU doesn't yet know. Carbon credit prices today can be as low as a few dollars per tonne of CO2, up to more than $100, depending on the project. EU emissions records suggest the bloc would need to buy at least 140 million tonnes of CO2 emissions to cover 3% of the 2040 target, roughly equivalent to the Netherlands' total emissions last year. One senior Commission official said the bloc was determined not to hoover up cheap junk credits. "I don't think that would have any additional value. The credits we see currently on voluntary carbon markets are very, very cheap, and that probably reflects a lack of high environmental integrity," the senior official said.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
How poor is ‘poor' in India?
Can data really define poverty in India? The numbers certainly suggest progress. Fewer people live below the international poverty line. More people have access to food, jobs, electricity, and housing. Government dashboards show consistent improvement across key behind the graphs and charts, millions still live just one setback away from hunger. Their names may no longer show up in poverty counts, but their reality hasn't changed much. They are not poor on paper, but they aren't secure a large part of India, the line between survival and collapse is still painfully EXIT POVERTY, YET REMAIN VULNERABLE The World Bank's latest global poverty update, released in June 2025, confirms the headline: extreme poverty in India has dropped sharply. The share of people living on less than $3 a day, adjusted for local prices (what economists call 'purchasing power parity' or PPP), fell from 27% in 2011 to just 5.3% in 2022. 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'The Rs 62-per-day threshold appears extremely inadequate when compared to current living costs,' she said. 'One way to consider a minimum threshold for basic living is to compare it with the minimum wage—the lowest legally approved earnings level.'Currently, the central government provides a non-statutory floor wage of Rs 178 per day, below which no state can set its minimum. By contrast, the World Bank's international poverty line for lower-middle-income countries—$4.20 per day—comes to roughly Rs 87 in PPP terms. 'By this measure, around 23.9% of India's population remains below the poverty line,' she also stressed the need to revise India's outdated poverty line. 'The lower the threshold, the lower the poverty headcount ratio,' she said. 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Food subsidies, rural roads, cash transfers, and better access to electricity have improved lives in measurable ways. Incomes in agriculture and construction have also grown in some regions. But part of the reason poverty seems lower today also comes down to how it is official household consumption surveys now use a method called the Modified Mixed Recall Period (MMRP). This change helps capture more spending, especially on regular items like food and fuel. As a result, people appear to be consuming more, and poverty estimates is where experts urge caution. India hasn't officially updated its poverty line since 2011-2012. Committees were set up, but their recommendations were never implemented. In the absence of a fresh national benchmark, India is now relying on global official thresholds, Rs 33 a day for urban areas and Rs 27 for rural (set by the Tendulkar Committee), are outdated and politically sensitive. 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According to Joshi, tax policies, corporate consolidation, and weak labour laws all contribute to protecting wealth at the top and deepening the divide.'We produce enough wealth. We just don't share it fairly,' Joshi writes. 'Until there is real political will to tax wealth, invest in education and healthcare, and support labour protections, inequality will only worsen.'POVERTY ABOVE THE LINEOpposition leaders have criticised the government for celebrating statistical success while ignoring ground realities. In 2024, many pointed out that lakhs of families still rely on subsidised rations. Falling below the poverty line isn't the only form of suffering; many are stuck just above it, constantly on the country sets its sights on becoming a Viksit Bharat (a developed nation) by 2047, should the definition of poverty not evolve too?The methodology used today suggests progress and tells us who is no longer counted as poor, yet says little about those who still live one setback away from crisis—unable to absorb a hospital bill, a missed wage, or a child's school expenses.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Kerala government signs pact with International Rice Research Institute to promote low-emission rice cultivation
The Kerala government has signed an agreement with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to promote low-emission rice cultivation in the State. The initiative is part of the World Bank-supported Kerala Climate Resilient Agriculture Value Chain Modernisation Project (KERA). The Agriculture department described the agreement as a 'landmark' initiative aimed at promoting climate smart agriculture in the State. The agreement was signed by Vishnuraj P., Additional Project Director, KERA, and Virender Kumar, Research Director, Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems (SIRS), IRRI on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram. With Palakkad and Thrissur as focus areas, the collaboration will focus on developing Low Emission Packages (LEPs), promoting digital water management systems and introducing farmer-centric solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water-use efficiency, and enhance agricultural livelihoods. Across 22,000 hectares The project will be implemented across 22,000 hectares, targeting 45,000 farmers in major rice-producing zones, including Palakkad's canal-irrigated uplands and Thrissur's kole wetlands. 'These regions are significant contributors to methane emissions in Kerala's agricultural landscape. The project introduces Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation techniques, digital monitoring, and sustainable agronomic practices to help transition to low-emission rice systems,' the Agriculture department said in a statement. The partnership includes key institutions such as the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) and Paadasekhara Samitis. 'The IRRI's water-saving interventions are pivotal in enhancing water utility without compromising crop productivity. These sustainable technologies also pave the way for future participation in carbon trading mechanisms,' said Mr. Vishnuraj.
