Blue NDC coalition widens as 17 nations pledge ocean-based measures in national climate plans

A new Task Force on Oceans was unveiled on Tuesday, 18 November, at COP30, in a move aimed at placing the world’s seas firmly within the core of global climate policy. Led by Brazil and France, the initiative seeks to integrate oceans into a global mechanism that speeds up the adoption of marine solutions in national climate plans and builds on the Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge, which urges countries to include ocean protection targets when updating their NDCs.

Revealed at a high-level ministerial meeting titled “From Ambition to Implementation: Delivering on Ocean Commitments”, the Task Force reflects a shift from pledges to delivery. Countries signalled their intent to convert the Blue NDC Challenge into an Implementation Task Force, underlining the need for stronger multilateral cooperation. The COP30 Action Agenda Blue Package, presented alongside, was described as a significant step that structurally integrates the ocean into the climate agenda.

Seventeen countries have now committed to incorporating the ocean into their updated climate plans. Besides Brazil and France, early members include Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, the Republic of Seychelles, Chile, Madagascar and the United Kingdom. During the event, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Portugal and Singapore joined the initiative, expanding the coalition.

Brazil’s National Secretary for Climate Change, Aloisio de Melo, noted that the Brazilian NDC now includes ocean-based solutions such as ProManguezal and ProCoral, reflecting what he called a conviction that the ocean must be recognised as a pillar of global climate ambition. He pointed to a “clear trend” of more countries embedding ocean measures in their NDCs and described the recent alignment of heads of state on this issue as unprecedented.

Loreley Picourt, Executive Director of the Ocean and Climate Platform, said the Blue NDC Challenge would now evolve into an Implementation Task Force, and described the Blue Package as a roadmap for moving from global ambition to concrete action.

Ocean Action Moves Centre-stage
Introduced at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice earlier this year, the Blue NDC Challenge commits participating nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate resilience through ocean-based solutions. Measures include sustainable management, conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, backed by tools such as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management and climate-aligned marine protected areas. Countries are also encouraged to support sustainable and climate-resilient fisheries and aquaculture to safeguard ocean health and food security.

Brazil’s new NDC, which sets targets for mitigation and adaptation up to 2035, contains a dedicated chapter on the ocean and coastal zones. The national Climate Plan will, for the first time, include a thematic adaptation plan for these areas. Goals include completing Marine Spatial Planning by 2030 and strengthening Integrated Coastal Zone Management, alongside the roll-out of ProManguezal and ProCoral to conserve and restore mangroves and coral reefs.

At the ministerial event, Francisco de Oliveira, Mayor of Augusto Corrêa in Pará, stressed the need to balance environmental protection with the livelihoods of traditional Amazonian communities. He noted that local mangrove ecosystems absorb several times more carbon than terrestrial forests and argued that protecting them is cheaper than restoring them later, provided that local knowledge is matched with adequate finance and resources.