This November, the eyes of the world turn towards Belém, Brazil, where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean, as world leaders, scientists, and campaigners converge for the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP30).
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, this COP’s Action Agenda reflects broad consensus that it’s high time we shift from promises to delivery. And, for those of us working on ocean-climate communications, that shift is palpable. The ocean is no longer an afterthought in climate negotiations. It’s central to the solution. At Communications INC, we’re seeing this shift first-hand: in the language used, the collaborations forming, and the hunger for stories that prove the connection between ocean and climate action.
Over the past decade, the ocean has travelled a long journey from the sidelines of the UNFCCC process to centre stage. Through the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogues, the first Global Stocktake, and the surge in Blue NDCs linking coastal and marine measures to national climate plans, the ocean is finally being recognised as the ‘blue thread’ that unites our climate and biodiversity agendas, and a powerful ally in achieving a healthy planet for people and nature by 2050. This year in Belém, our team is on the ground and online, helping partners across the global ocean community track, communicate and amplify this next chapter of ocean-climate action.
One Ocean, One Voice
In the lead-up to COP30, we’ve worked with 27 partner organisations to shape the Virtual Ocean Pavilion’s topline messages, shared principles and tailored narratives that reflect the priorities of the global ocean community.
The asks are clear. Recognise the ocean as our greatest climate ally. Scale up and simplify access to ocean finance. Accelerate ocean protection and conservation. And ensure a just transition that puts ocean-reliant communities first. These messages reaffirm the importance of connecting the ocean, climate and biodiversity agendas through stronger multilateral collaboration.
We’re also partnering with the Ocean & Climate Platform to launch Wave Forward: the Blue Thread at COP30, a collective effort by coalitions, communicators and campaigners to fast-track the implementation of proven, science-based ocean-climate actions.
Anchored in the Blue Package, the ocean community’s coordinated contribution to the COP30 Action Agenda, and the Ocean Breakthroughs, Wave Forward identifies priorities across policy, finance, innovation and equity that can accelerate action to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions across five key ocean-based sectors by 2028.
Together, these efforts show coordination at scale across the ocean community. Civil society and non-state actors are arriving at COP30 with a united ocean voice, ready to move beyond pledges.
Cutting Through the Noise
Climate COPs are information storms. With an overwhelming flow of announcements, data and debate, it can be hard to keep track of what matters most.
Our Monitoring & Intelligence Team will help navigate the wave of information. During the Heads of State Summit and key ocean moments throughout the conference, we’ll track official livestreams, thematic days, and key events to capture how the ocean is being discussed – by whom, and in what context.
Daily summaries will help our partners stay responsive, coordinated and informed. Developed in collaboration with the Ocean & Climate Platform and others, this real-time monitoring ensures the ocean narrative stays visible, factual and connected, so the stories that matter won’t get drowned out.
Boots on the Ground
While our monitoring team works remotely, we’re also in Belém with Nature4Climate, leading the Nature Newsroom from the Nature Hub Pavilion.
Hosted by 14 organisations united under the call to Lead, Invest, Adapt and Grow With Nature, we’ll be producing stories and interviews that show how nature, people, and climate are connected – and how real progress happens when action is guided by nature.
Carrying the Wave Forward
Our work across the Virtual Ocean Pavilion, Wave Forward, Monitoring & Intelligence, and the Nature Newsroom puts our expertise into action – keeping ocean and nature stories visible, connected, and focused on impact.
The message from Belém is simple but urgent. The ocean is our greatest ally in combating climate change. Fast-tracking action to protect it is the way forward to a resilient, equitable, net-zero, and biodiversity-positive world.
See you there!
Follow us on LinkedIn, tune in to the Virtual Ocean Pavilion, and help Wave Forward ocean-climate action.
Get in touch for more information, interviews and media opportunities.