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National Observer
a day ago
- Politics
- National Observer
What really is a UN Ocean Summit?
From June 9 to the 13, I joined the official Canadian delegation in Nice, France, at the third United Nations Ocean Summit. I was likely the youngest person at UNOC3, not just on Canada's delegation, but in the entire diplomatic zone. At 16, I wasn't attending as a guest or observer — and it was clear: there were no people under 20 anywhere in the room, even from NGOs. We need more young delegates at these summits, not for symbolic reasons, but because our generation will live with the consequences of these decisions. Youth engagement shouldn't be treated as a checkbox. It should be the natural result of aligning experience, interest and readiness — even if that person happens to be 16. This high-level gathering brought countries, institutions and advocates together to confront the growing threats facing our oceans — from overfishing and pollution to legal gaps in international waters, as well as our blue economy. Some of the major issues on the table this year included the Plastics Treaty, the BBNJ Agreement (better known as the High Seas Treaty), and global momentum for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The Plastics Treaty would be the first binding global agreement to limit plastic pollution across the lifecycle of production and waste. The High Seas Treaty, adopted by the UN last year, aims to protect marine life in international waters. Meanwhile, organizations like Ocean Wise, Oceans North, and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition called forcefully for an end to deep-sea mining before it accelerates unchecked. Despite the urgency, the practice remains unbanned in Canada. Canada came to the table with a number of meaningful commitments. We've pledged to protect 30 per cent of our oceans by 2030, support the High Seas Treaty, and remain active in treaty negotiations on plastic. But we are still falling short. Canada has not yet fully ratified key international frameworks, and implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) remains uneven across provinces and territories. These global goals can't remain symbolic — they need institutional follow-through. The conference was filled with research briefings, diplomatic receptions and panels — but some of the most important discussions came from Indigenous voices and frontline coastal communities. There was an easily hard truth uncovered in some of the more 'down to earth' conversations: we know more about outer space than the depths of our oceans. Yet, decisions are being made today that will define how these ecosystems survive — or collapse. Small island developing states like Mauritius and others in the Pacific are facing the harshest impacts of rising sea levels, acidification, and marine degradation — despite contributing the least to global emissions or ocean pollution. It was deeply frustrating to see China send only a small delegation, and even more troubling that the United States didn't show up at all. If major emitters don't attend international forums meant to address the damage they are most responsible for, what message does that send? In 2025, we will live with more plastic in the ocean than at any other point in history, record-breaking CO₂ levels, and the highest number of climate-displaced people ever recorded. Yet in many rooms, the economy still takes precedence over urgent climate action. Canada deserves credit for showing up — but we must also lead. We know more about outer space than the depths of our oceans, writes Jaden Braves This includes accelerating ratification of key ocean frameworks and ensuring real domestic implementation of our global commitments such as the commitment to the moratorium on deepsea mining, as well as meeting all of SDG14. It's nice to see a new government hoping to become the strongest economy in the G7, something I think is highly achievable. But we must not forget that global warming hasn't gotten any better and if our focus isn't on the planet, we may not have one. What wasn't discussed nearly enough in Nice is the intersection between climate and security. While perhaps more of a focus for the NATO summit this week, we cannot ignore how melting ice in the Arctic compromises Canada's northern sovereignty. Russian and Chinese radar systems have already appeared near our coastline. The geopolitical dimensions of ocean protection are real — and increasingly urgent. Ice is a natural conduit to security and it must be regarded as such. Hopefully, reversing climate change in Canada could be part of our new two per cent (and growing) GDP spending towards defence. After all, you are literally defending your country by having a natural border, (the icy Arctic). On June 12, I had the honour of hosting a press conference to announce that Young Politicians of Canada (YPC), the organization I founded, is partnering with the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) to launch a Sustainable Development Goal Council. This council, led by UNAC, will work toward implementing the SDGs — not just federally, but across all levels of government. It positions Canada as one of the few countries with a youth-led, policy-focused mechanism to advance SDG accountability and uptake across sectors. It's a big step — and one I'm proud to help lead as a co-chair beside my friend and colleague at UNAC, Dheeksha Reddy. There's something mildly absurd about flying thousands of people to the French Riviera to discuss environmental protection without involving the generation most affected by the outcomes. But if we're going to do this — and we must — then the least we can do is ensure those who will live with the consequences have a seat at the table.
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How Asia's failure to cooperate is killing its rivers and oceans
Asia's relationship with the ocean represents one of the most complex environmental contradictions of our time. The region is home to some of the world's largest maritime economies, with China, Japan, South Korea and India among those leading the global shipping, fishing and marine trade. It contains about 60 per cent of the world's coastal population, and those people depend on the region's coastal zones for their livelihoods, food security and economic survival. Yet, at the same time, the same region that benefits most from ocean resources is systematically destroying the very marine ecosystems on which it depends. The 2025 UN Ocean Conference last week in Nice, France offered a stark illustration of this contradiction. While some Asian nations have made impressive pledges – such as South Korea committing to sustainably manage all of the ocean areas under its jurisdiction by joining the 100% Alliance and India's push for swift ratification of the High Seas Treaty – the fundamental drivers of ocean degradation across Asia remain largely unaddressed. The conference highlighted Asia's potential for leadership while simultaneously exposing its dangerous shortcomings in protecting marine environments. The most glaring failure lies in plastic pollution, where Asia's rivers serve as conveyor belts of waste into global oceans. Around 90 per cent of river-transported plastic in our oceans can be traced back to just 10 rivers, eight of which are in Asia, with the Yangtze, Ganges and Mekong among the worst offenders. Despite India's advocacy at Nice for a binding agreement to end ocean plastics, domestic policies remain woefully inadequate. India's plastic recycling rate is just 8 per cent, meaning most plastic waste ends up in landfills or waterways. Similar patterns exist across Southeast Asia, where rapid economic growth has long outpaced waste management infrastructure.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Nauru Says Deep Sea Mining And Ocean Conservation Can Coexist
Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist Ocean conservation and deep sea mining are not in conflict, Nauru's climate change minister has told leaders at the United Nations Ocean Conference. Asterio Appi said Nauru sees the extraction of metals from deep sea nodules as essential for the increased production of electricity as the world moves away from fossil fuels. "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development," Appi said. Deep sea mining involves extracting potato size rocks called nodules - which are packed full of valuable metals - from the seafloor many kilometres deep. Earlier this month, Nauru updated its commercial agreement with Canadian mining group The Metals Company for deep sea mining in international waters. It comes at a time of increasing uncertainty in the deep sea mining industry with both the United States and International Seabed Authority (ISA) stating each offers a licencing pathway to mine the seabed in international waters. According to the UN's Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, Nauru is the fifth most vulnerable nation in the world. Appi said Nauru had financial needs to address issues related to climate change and economic instability. "Nauru considers that the sustainable use of our oceans must include the responsible recovery and extraction of these critical energy transition metals to ensure supply chain security," he said. Also read: The five-day Ocean Conference in Nice - co-hosted by France and Costa Rica - concluded on on Friday. One of the key aims was to get the High Seas Treaty ratified by 60 countries to bring it into force. Fifty countries had ratified it by Friday, with a dozen more promising to do so by the end of the year. Vanuatu's Climate Change Adaptation Minister Ralph Regenvanu told journalists that fossil fuel reduction did not feature enough at the conference. "It's the single greatest cause of the damage to the oceans that we're seeing now and we're not talking about it enough." He said the Pacific is living through a climate emergency every day. "You're recovering, you're coming to the next one, you're facing another one. You're preparing for something, for example a lot of people living on the cost can no longer access fresh water like they used to, so just basic things being affected. "Those of us who are the most climate vulnerable now are simply living the future that we're all going to get one day." Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo said he was an "optimist by nature" and believed the conference had contributed to the climate change conversation. However, Teo said he wanted to see more action from the big emitters. "As a small island developing country, we don't have that influence to pressure them to change their policies, but we need to sustain the pressure and meeting of this sort give us that opportunity to continue to tell that story." He said the ocean means everything to the people of Tuvalu. New Zealand committed NZ$52 million dollars to strengthen ocean governance in the Pacific. But the country's environment and climate change ministry chief executive said Australia and New Zealand's fossil fuel expansion raises questions about their respect, or lack of it towards the ocean. "If Australia and New Zealand are going to expand oil and gas that sends a very strong signal that the agreements or decisions that they have made internationally are not upheld," Sivendra Michael said. "So who do we hold to account? Are there any government mechanisms that we can legislatively or through the judicial system, take them to court?" Michael said legislation is also needed to hold countries to account for trans-boundary waste, like if the Great Pacific Garbage Patch enters into a countries exclusive economic zone.
CBC
17-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Funding to protect oceans falls far short of what UN says is needed
Social Sharing A UN push for investment to protect the world's oceans yielded around $10 billion US ($13.6 billion Cdn) in deals at a conference last week, way below the estimated annual need as many investors sought clearer regulations on ocean management before committing funds. While political leaders at the United Nations conference in Nice took steps to tackle overfishing and pollution threatening delicate ecosystems and the people who depend on them, getting countries to agree to better governance has proven tough. Only 50 countries ratify High Seas Treaty so far Just 50 countries have so far ratified a new High Seas treaty that sets out rules agreed to by more than 130 nations in 2023 to govern international waters and clamp down on harmful practices. Neither Canada nor the United States have ratified the treaty. The lack of a clear governing framework and robust ocean-related data has stymied private sector finance to date, said Oliver Withers, head of nature at British lender Standard Chartered. "The high seas don't belong to any one individual sovereign," he said. "It is a significant challenge." WATCH | World leaders, scientists gather in France for UN Ocean Conference World leaders, scientists gather in France for UN Ocean Conference 9 days ago Duration 1:57 Funding mostly from public sector banks The bulk of deals made in France came from public sector banks, including $2.5 billion from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and $3.5 billion from a group of other development banks to fight plastic pollution. While a step up, the total figure falls far short of what the UN says is needed. Between 2015 and 2019, only $10 billion US was invested against the UN estimate of $175 billion US in annual funding that the world body says is needed to meet the sustainable development goals set out in 2015. Those goals included ending illegal fishing and banning subsidies that encourage it by 2020, conserving 10 per cent of marine areas by 2020 and significantly reducing marine pollution by 2025. "Public finance isn't enough, but private finance is even less. So I think it's a space in its infancy," said Francine Pickup of the UN Development Programme. Pickup said improving policies and regulation, including removing subsidies she said encouraged harmful practices such as overfishing, was key, followed by the creation of a pipeline of investments, including in start-ups focused on ocean-related technology. WATCH | Scientists want a ban on deep-sea mining. Trump wants to fast-track it Scientists want a ban on deep-sea mining. Trump wants to fast-track it 13 days ago Duration 1:59 A group of leading ocean and climate scientists, including Canadians, is calling for a ban on deep-sea mining just as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to fast-track undersea mining approvals. Between 2020 and 2025, ocean tech received just 0.4 per cent of the $202 billion US invested across all sectors during that period, data shared with Reuters by industry tracker Sightline Climate showed, although the data showed a stronger start to 2025. Investors seek treaty enforcement mechanisms "What we seek as investors is that governments and the policymakers address systemic risks," said Robert-Alexandre Poujade, biodiversity lead at BNP Paribas Asset Management. He said he would welcome the treaty "if it has lots of teeth and enforcement mechanisms." Fixing the funding shortfall also requires a concerted effort by policymakers and investors to tackle challenges that impede the protection of marine biodiversity and ocean health. A warming planet is heating up the oceans, exacerbating effects such as water acidification and coral bleaching that climate scientists say will be improved if the world manages to cut carbon emissions as planned. Overfishing and polluting sea vessels, offshore oil drilling and, potentially, deep-sea mining that collectively damage ocean health also require firmer policy action, scientists, ocean experts and investors say. While action has hitherto been slow, there were signs of progress in Nice, as more than 20 countries backed a call by France to prevent deep sea mining; and a number of new marine protected areas were created. "In a sense, the ocean is the last area that we have been pillaging without thinking about tomorrow," said Flavien Jouber, Seychelles minister for agriculture climate change and environment, describing a "sense of free-for-all."
Daily Maverick
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Through Attenborough's optimism about the ocean we may be lulled by an undercurrent of complacency
In his latest – and likely last – documentary, the renowned biologist and natural historian leaves a message of hope – but will the world listen? The recently released feature-length documentary Ocean with David Attenborough is a visual marvel that makes a compelling case for preserving the health of the ocean. It opens with the argument that what lies under the surface of the ocean has, until now, remained a complete mystery to humankind. It is only with the technological advances of the 20th and 21st centuries that we have been able to see what dwells beneath the waves, but only now have we begun to turn our attention away from the enchanting magic of the ocean towards the beasts senselessly destroying it. The documentary features devastatingly detailed and unforgiving footage of bottom trawling, a fishing technique that involves dragging large nets across the sea floor, capturing and destroying all in its path. So massive are the scars left behind that they are visible from space, Attenborough says. Released in the lead-up to the UN's Ocean Conference, which began on 9 June, Ocean with David Attenborough is a clear call to action. It aims to galvanise global support for banning bottom trawling and expanding marine protected areas. There is also growing pressure on nations to ratify the High Seas Treaty, a crucial agreement that will only come into force once 60 countries have ratified it. As of 9 June, just 32 had done so. In the UN's hands The scenes of the barren graveyard left behind by trawlers are quickly banished by Attenborough's declaration of hope. Marine life has a remarkable ability to recover – if only left alone, he says. Within just a few years life can bounce back. No matter how overfished and exploited the ocean is, if an area is protected for long enough, life stubbornly returns. In addition, healing is not limited to protected areas – life leaks out, carried by the currents. Only 3% of the world's oceans are fully protected from exploitation. Attenborough hints at the solution: protecting at least 30%. But, delivered as his 'greatest message of hope', the film risks lulling audiences into inaction. In a time of unprecedented urgency, could hope inadvertently breed complacency? The UK recently announced it would extend bans on bottom trawling from 18,000km² to 30,000km² of its offshore areas, affecting 41 of its 128 marine protected areas. France, co-host of the Ocean Conference with Costa Rica, boasts that it has surpassed the 30% protection target set for 2030. But environmental groups warn of a troubling discrepancy between promises and practice. In reality, despite the claims, only about 3% of French waters are protected from destructive activities. According to the advocacy group Oceana, more than 100 bottom-trawling vessels operated for more than 17,000 hours in 2024 in France's six marine nature parks in European waters. Attenborough also draws attention to a more insidious problem: enforcement. In international waters, where no single nation has jurisdiction, ensuring compliance is exceedingly difficult. Marine protection, he suggests, has often amounted to little more than optics. Out of sight, out of mind Ocean conservationist Luke McMillan said in a LinkedIn post: 'Perhaps [the documentary's] gentleness will be its strength. If not, then I fear we're lost. If Sir David can't move the needle, what hope is left for the rest of us trying to?' Renee Bonorchis, founder of The Ocean Advocate, points out that Attenborough focuses on bottom trawling, but the ocean faces far more adversity than this issue. One example is the acidification of water caused by increased carbon dioxide in the air, which causes the calcium carbonate that makes up sea creatures' shells to 'melt'. The documentary may cause some consternation for a few days, but once that feeling fades amid the bustle of daily life, will the state of the ocean once again be a case of out of sight, out of mind? Attenborough has declared this documentary to be his last as he approaches his centenary. But, having left the fate of the ocean in the hands of the UN, the documentary dangles the tempting comfort of complacency. If it's all up to them, what can we do anyway? The Ocean Conference has the mandate to formalise an ocean agreement. 'If these agreements are reached and stuck to, it will make a difference, but we've seen so many global agreements and treaties and very few of them are fully committed to by the member states, which is why it comes down to us, as individuals,' Bonorchis says. 'If you want to see the change, be the change.' Practical steps to make a difference in South Africa Download the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (Sassi) mobile app: Get readily available information about sustainable seafood on your phone by downloading this useful app from Google Play or the App Store. Avoid single-use plastics: Use canvas bags for shopping and support stores that use sustainable, biodegradable packaging. Get actionable insights into adapting your context for sustainability: Download the Sustainable Seas Trust's Plastic-Free Seas: An Action-Focused Guide for Plastic Management in Africa to learn how the Global South can become the world's leader in sustainable waste management. Marine-friendly sunscreen: Many sunscreens contain harmful chemicals that damage coral reefs and other marine life. Ensure your sunscreen is marine friendly. Reduce your carbon footprint: Increased carbon in the air increases the acidity of the water, severely affecting marine life. Reduce your carbon footprint by working at home when you can, reducing international travel and using less electricity. Join protests: Show the powers that be that you care by joining protests. Extinction Rebellion, GreenPeace and Green Connection are some examples of active groups championing climate rights. Reduce your meat consumption: Consuming meat contributes significantly to the release of greenhouse gases. Changing to a majority vegetarian or vegan diet is a simple way to make a big impact. Vote for the climate: Keep the climate in mind when you are voting for political leaders. So far, none of the major political parties in South Africa has led with a climate agenda in its campaigning. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
