Day: 10 June 2025

A major new initiative placing the ocean at the heart of global climate strategy was launched on the opening day of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, as Brazil and France unveiled the Blue NDC Challenge. The campaign, backed by an initial group of eight countries, calls on nations to explicitly integrate ocean-based solutions into their national climate plans ahead of COP30 in Belém.

Unveiled on 9th June in Nice, the Blue NDC Challenge is designed to increase international momentum for embedding the ocean into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Brazil, which will host COP30 this November, has partnered with France to launch the initiative, joined by Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and the Republic of Seychelles.

“For Brazil, the Blue NDC Challenge represents a key opportunity to strengthen ocean-related climate action and to emphasise the essential role of ocean-based solutions in achieving emission reduction targets,” said Brazil’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva. She confirmed Brazil’s updated NDC includes marine spatial planning, enhanced coastal zone management, and the restoration of mangroves and coral reefs.

France, already a vocal advocate for integrating ocean protection into global climate dialogues, is using its co-leadership at UNOC3 to push for deeper commitments from other developed nations.

From coral reefs to offshore wind: a broad toolkit for climate resilience

The countries signing on to the Blue NDC Challenge are committing to ocean-focused measures that include everything from phasing out bottom trawling and offshore oil production, to expanding clean ocean energy and improving climate resilience in marine sectors such as shipping and fisheries.

Each nation’s contributions will reflect its domestic priorities, but the goal is shared: to bring the ocean into the centre of national climate action plans. The initiative builds on growing scientific evidence showing that ocean-based solutions could deliver up to 35% of the emissions reductions needed to keep the 1.5°C target within reach.

“Industrial marine sectors and natural ecosystems are underused tools in addressing climate change,” said Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan, adding that his island nation views ocean leadership not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

Backed by global NGOs and climate alliances

The Blue NDC Challenge is supported by a coalition of environmental organisations and research groups, including Ocean Conservancy, the Ocean & Climate Platform, the World Resources Institute, and WWF-Brazil. These partners, through the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA), will provide technical guidance, data, and investment support for participating countries.

“The ocean already plays a vital role in stabilising our climate—but it has vast untapped potential,” said Janis Searles Jones, CEO of Ocean Conservancy. “Thank you to Brazil for launching this challenge to solidify ocean-based climate solutions as a key part of national climate plans.”

With 2025 marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the initiative is being framed as a bridge from the promises of Paris to the delivery expected in Belém.

An inflection point on the road to COP30

The timing of the Blue NDC Challenge is deliberate. With countries due to submit enhanced NDCs before COP30 in Brazil, the initiative offers a mechanism to translate scientific consensus and diplomatic intent into measurable, ocean-based climate action.

Loreley Picourt of the Ocean & Climate Platform described the move as “how we turn Paris ambition into Belém action.” Meanwhile, Marina Corrêa of WWF-Brazil noted that by foregrounding the ocean, Brazil is demonstrating “a science- and nature-based agenda that amplifies the voices of vulnerable communities.”

The challenge has now been formally launched—but its success will depend on how many countries rise to meet it in the months ahead.

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Photo credit: Matteo De Lorenzi, Unsplash

In a deeply symbolic ceremony just ahead of World Oceans Day, Malizia Explorer—the new scientific research sailboat from Team Malizia—was officially christened at the Yacht Club de Monaco by legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, in the presence of Prince Albert II and a distinguished gathering of ocean advocates.

On 6th June, Malizia Explorer was welcomed into the Principality’s fleet with a traditional blessing by Father Christian Venard and the ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle. The 26-metre aluminium vessel joins Team Malizia’s fleet with a singular mission: to support cutting-edge ocean research, especially in the planet’s most remote and vulnerable polar regions.

“This vessel is a superb logistics platform available to scientists,” said Pierre Casiraghi, Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco and co-founder of Team Malizia. “It reflects the team’s DNA—built on competition and environmental protection.”

The vessel received its 4-Star Sea Index environmental certification during the ceremony, awarded by the Yacht Club’s President, Prince Albert II. Supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the boat is expected to play a vital role in collecting data from uncharted marine regions, reinforcing Monaco’s global leadership in ocean conservation.

A godmother with a global legacy

The christening was led by Dr Sylvia Earle, the 89-year-old American marine biologist and explorer who has long championed the protection of the ocean’s most fragile ecosystems. “This sailboat symbolises new hope,” said Earle. “It combines the ancient wisdom of sailing with the modern tools of science. It may be our last chance to reverse the trajectory of decline and put our blue planet back on the path to regeneration.”

Among the 80 guests were Ambassador Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, students from the Principality, and young sailors from the Yacht Club, reinforcing the event’s educational and multigenerational message.

At sea for science

Launched in Lorient earlier this year, Malizia Explorer is purpose-built for research missions in polar and tropical zones. With space for four crew and up to eight scientists, it is equipped with sophisticated instruments such as an Ocean Pack system for continuous climate data collection, a CTD rosette for deep-sea sampling, and a suite of advanced sensors being installed in partnership with scientific institutions.

The vessel will support long-term missions in collaboration with partners including AWI, GEOMAR, OceanOPS, Hereon, the Swiss Polar Institute, and Reederei F. Laeisz. Its five-year itinerary includes the Mediterranean, Antarctica and the Arctic, with its first post-launch activity being participation in the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) parade in Nice.

Bridging exploration, education and climate advocacy

“The christening of this boat in Monaco marks an important milestone in uniting sailors, scientists and creatives to give the ocean a voice,” said Boris Herrmann, skipper and co-founder of Team Malizia. “This research vessel is a natural evolution of our climate mission. It allows us to collect vital data and communicate the urgent story of ocean health on a global scale.”

With Malizia Explorer, Team Malizia expands its ‘A Race We Must Win – Climate Action Now’ programme from ocean racing to hands-on research. It is a powerful embodiment of Monaco’s longstanding tradition at the intersection of exploration, science and environmental leadership.

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Photo source: YCM

The UN Ocean Conference in Nice opened with a decisive move toward global ocean governance, as 18 countries formally ratified the High Seas Treaty, marking the biggest single-day advancement for the agreement since its adoption. French President Emmanuel Macron used the moment to announce that the treaty, which aims to regulate and protect international waters, could come into force as early as 1st January 2026.

The surge in support at the Nice summit brings the total number of ratifications to 49, just 11 short of the 60 required for the treaty to take legal effect. Nations from across continents, including Guinea-Bissau, Tuvalu, Croatia and Jamaica, confirmed their commitment during the high-level gathering. Macron told delegates that 55 ratifications are now complete, with an additional 15 under way and more expected by year’s end.

“This means the treaty could enter into force on 1st January of next year,” said the French President. “We would finally have an international framework to regulate and administer the high seas.”

See more: Monaco first in EU to ratify UN High Seas Treaty on protections outside national jurisdictions

Rebecca Hubbard of the High Seas Alliance called the milestone “a tidal wave of hope” and a turning point for marine conservation. She added that with only a handful of ratifications left, it is now only a matter of weeks before the agreement can move forward.

EU unveils €40 million lifeline for treaty implementation

The European Union, a key driving force behind the treaty, used the occasion to announce a €40 million pledge to help countries ratify and implement the agreement. The funding will support efforts in African, Caribbean and Pacific nations, many of which face resource limitations when transitioning treaty commitments into domestic law.

“We all know the treaty is a crucial instrument to protect our ocean beyond borders,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the opening session. The EU was joined by six of its member states in finalising ratifications just ahead of the summit, following earlier endorsements by France and Spain.

Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Oceans and Fisheries, added that the EU would also work with global partners to ensure strong, science-based implementation of the treaty through the Global Ocean Programme.

What the High Seas Treaty will change

Officially named the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, the High Seas Treaty was adopted in 2023 following nearly two decades of negotiations. It is designed to introduce legally binding protection for marine areas beyond national boundaries—regions that cover almost two-thirds of the world’s ocean.

Currently governed by a patchwork of sectoral rules and regional agreements, these waters have long remained vulnerable to overfishing, pollution and the looming threat of deep-sea mining. The treaty will empower countries to establish marine protected areas, require environmental impact assessments, and coordinate scientific activities in international waters for the first time.

Megan Randles of Greenpeace described the treaty as “our best chance to rein in the wild west of the high seas” and to safeguard ecosystems that are vital to climate stability and marine biodiversity.

Countdown to implementation

Once the 60th ratification is deposited, the treaty will enter into force 120 days later. This would trigger the first Conference of the Parties (COP1), where countries will meet to begin establishing the institutions needed to enforce the agreement—ranging from monitoring systems to decision-making bodies and enforcement mechanisms.

With political will intensifying and new funding on the table, Nice may well be remembered as the moment the tide truly turned in favour of the ocean.

See also: 

“The ship has reached the shore”: 52 countries agree to monumental Treaty of the High Seas

Monaco Life is produced by a team of real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

Photo credit: Marlin Clark, Unsplash