Two living giants meet here in Belém where COP30 is taking place – the Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic Ocean. Green and blue, together they form one system that makes our planet habitable. 

From the unprecedented category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastating Jamaica, to the super typhoon sweeping through the Philippines, extreme weather and climate shocks happening across the world make the reality clear. As negotiations proceed in Belém, the stakes have never been higher.

At COP30, the ocean has taken its rightful place alongside the Amazon and the energy transition- central to the climate conversation. This shift is embodied in the Blue Package, a bold new framework designed to accelerate and scale up ocean-climate solutions by 2028.

The Blue Package is guided by the Ocean Breakthroughs, science-based targets for 2030, that span five key sectors – marine conservation, aquatic food, renewable energy, shipping and tourism – to deliver real progress.

This vision is already shaping national ambition. Through the Blue NDC Challenge, launched earlier this year, governments are integrating ocean action directly into climate commitments. Now, 78% of member countries include at least one explicit reference to the ocean in their Nationally Determined Contributions – a remarkable 39% increase compared with previous submissions. 

But recognition and targets are not enough. What is needed now is political will and investment to implement the Blue Package. We must act together in a Blue Mutirão – a collective movement of governments, communities, innovators, and citizens working side by side for the ocean that sustains us all.

THE OCEAN: HUMANITY’S GREATEST ALLY UNDER THREAT

The ocean is humanity’s most powerful ally in the fight against climate change, absorbing excess heat and carbon dioxide. But it is now under immense strain. Marine heatwaves are bleaching coral reefs. Acidification is eroding ecosystems. Deoxygenation is spreading dead zones through the seas. 

Protecting and restoring ocean health is not just an environmental priority, it is a matter of human survival and resilience. Coastal and island nations, Indigenous Peoples, and fishing communities are on the frontlines of climate change and deteriorating ocean health. Their voices must lead and their knowledge must guide our response.

ACCELERATING OCEAN-BASED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

At COP30, we are championing the Blue Package as a roadmap for ocean-based climate solutions to turn ambition into action. It aligns and advances the Ocean Breakthroughs: transformative pathways that, together, could help close up to 35% of the global emissions gap by 2050, while also delivering benefits for people and nature.

These solutions span five high-impact sectors, each with targets for 2030:

• Marine Conservation: Investments of at least USD 72 billion secure the integrity of ocean ecosystems by protecting, restoring, and conserving at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.
• Aquatic Food: Provision of at least USD 4 billion annually to support resilient aquatic food systems that will contribute to healthy, regenerative ecosystems, and sustain food and nutrition security for three billion people.
• Ocean Renewable Energy: Install at least 380 GW of offshore capacity while establishing targets and enabling measures for net-positive biodiversity outcomes, and advocate for mobilizing USD 10 billion in concessional finance for developing economies to reach that goal.
• Shipping: Zero emission fuels make up at least 5%, aiming for 10% of international shipping fuels and 15% of domestic shipping fuels by 2030. 450,000 Seafarers need upskilling and retraining by 2030; 30% trade moving through climate adapting ports by 2030. Reduce the impact of international shipping on marine biodiversity by 30% by 2030.
• Coastal Tourism: Investment of USD 30 billion annually to support halving emissions of coastal tourism; and additional investments to build the resilience of local communities, as well as recover and protect ecosystems to sustainably manage tourism in island and coastal destinations most vulnerable to climate change.

These are not abstract targets. They are practical, science-based actions that can be delivered now if we act together and with urgency.

Their implementation and the targeted contribution to the emissions gap can only succeed if they go hand-in-hand with radical decarbonisation, mitigation measures and systemic change in key areas, from fossil fuel extraction to intensive agriculture. Ocean action cannot replace, nor should it be used as an excuse to delay, rapid and deep emissions cuts. 

BUILDING THE OPERATING SYSTEM FOR OCEAN ACTION

Integrity must be at the heart of ocean-climate action. This is why the Blue Package is built on Sustainable Ocean Planning and Management (SOPM): the operating system of ocean transformation. They are country-led frameworks to implement the solutions with science-based, inclusive decision-making and ensure the sustainable management of the ocean, in turn supporting its long term health. 

SOPM  integrates Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Biodiversity Strategies (NBSAPs), helping countries identify priorities, de-risk implementation, and coordinate across ministries, sectors, and communities.

The Blue Package activates every lever of change we have. Aligning policy and finance with the power of innovation, entrepreneurship, and partnerships to unlock a surge of ingenuity and action. It unites all actors, from governments and industry to academia and civil society, and recognizes Indigenous Peoples and local communities as essential partners.

This is how we translate commitments into change at sea.

A BLUE MUTIRÃO FOR THE PLANET

The word Mutirão in Brazil captures the spirit of collective action, people coming together to achieve a common goal. That is the energy the world needs now for the ocean.

From the Amazon Delta to the Pacific Islands, from polar waters to coastal cities, a Blue Mutirão is already taking shape. Governments are aligning ocean targets with climate strategies. Indigenous and local leaders are restoring ecosystems. Scientists and innovators are harnessing tools to reduce emissions and safeguard marine life. Concerned citizens are mobilizing with courage and creativity.

The ocean is calling us to act. And if we care for it, the ocean will continue to care for us – regulating the Earth and sustaining all the life that calls it home.

Let COP30 be remembered as a turning point for humanity, when the ocean was placed where it belongs: at the centre of global climate policy. 

From here, we must carry momentum forward and chart a clear blue pathway to COP31 – one that unites nature and climate action, prioritizing ocean conservation.

Let us build, together, a truly Blue Mutirão for the planet.