During the seventh Our Ocean Conference in Palau, the United States announced the Ocean Conservation Pledge - an ambitious new effort encouraging countries to commit to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of ocean waters under their national jurisdiction by 2030. Today, at COP27, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica Medina announced the first cohort of countries that have endorsed this pledge:
- Australia
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Fiji
- France
- Greece
- Japan
- Kenya
- Malta
- Panama
- Portugal
- Romania
- Seychelles
- Sri Lanka
The pledge is a critical step for conserving or protecting 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030 - with benefits for people, climate, and biodiversity. By mobilizing countries around the world to enhance marine conservation efforts within waters under their jurisdiction we will bolster efforts to successfully achieve the "30×30" target in the global ocean.
Countries endorsing the Ocean Conservation Pledge recognize the importance of ocean stewardship in support of sustainable ocean ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Growing scientific evidence demonstrates that enhanced ocean conservation can deliver lasting benefits to biodiversity, climate mitigation, coastal resilience, and food security. Endorsing countries affirm their resolve to take ambitious actions within their ocean waters to help avert the biodiversity and climate crises. The pledge recognizes that conservation efforts are most effective when they include and, to the extent possible, are co-developed by relevant stakeholders, particularly Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
The United States and other early supporters will continue to enlist additional countries to join the Ocean Conservation Pledge as we build support for a successful Our Ocean Conference in Panama in March 2023.
