Between now and January 2027, three major international rendez-vous will bring important opportunities and decisions at the intersection of ocean, biodiversity and climate: the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Yerevan, Armenia; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye; and the first COP of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.
While each meeting has its own mandate and priorities, all three can help shape the future of ocean protection, governance and action. What is at stake for the ocean at each of these milestones, and what should we expect from them?
CBD COP17 - Nature is Also Blue: Elevating the Ocean’s Importance in Biodiversity Protection
The journey starts in a few days at CBD COP17 in Armenia where, four years after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the world will take stock of progress made towards its 2030 targets, including ocean protection.
The GBF integrates marine and coastal biodiversity as a cross-cutting priority, as they are woven across all several targets, from conserving and restoring ecosystems to reducing pressures on biodiversity. This cross-cutting approach allows ocean priorities to be integrated into broader national biodiversity efforts, but also raises the question of whether they are receiving sufficient attention in implementation, policy and financing, given their marginalisation in the past.
The key question for Yerevan is whether the ocean will be reflected in the political conclusions of the Global Review, which will be adopted at COP17 to guide States in revising their national strategies for biodiversity protection and conservation. Without such recognition, the specific needs of marine and coastal ecosystems risk remaining insufficiently addressed in national priorities and measures. The Global Review must provide an opportunity to reaffirm the ocean’s central role in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework and send strong political signals in support of strengthened action for marine and coastal biodiversity.
UNFCCC COP 31 - Is the “COP of the Future” where we turn ocean ambition into action?
Then, in November 2026, the international community will gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for UNFCCC COP31, marked by an unprecedented joint presidency between Türkiye and Australia. Since its recognition in the preamble of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the ocean has become increasingly integrated into the global climate response, with 90% of coastal states now including ocean-related measures in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Ocean-based climate solutions could deliver up to 35% of the emissions reductions needed by 2050, yet significant opportunities remain to realise their potential for mitigation, adaptation and resilience at scale, translating existing commitments into action and mobilising the resources needed for implementation.
Although COP25 in 2019 was the last climate conference officially dubbed a “Blue COP,” subsequent meetings, including COP28, have helped sustain momentum for ocean–climate action. COP31 offers an opportunity to build on this legacy, with the ocean emerging as a bridge between Türkiye and Australia, both of which have placed it high on their agendas, creating a fertile ground for advancing ocean–climate priorities and translating commitments into concrete action.
Indeed, shaped by Türkiye’s vision of a “COP of the Future,” COP31 pledges to move beyond promises towards implementation that is measurable, verifiable and sustainable, and that delivers tangible results on the ground. For the ocean, this represents a major opportunity to move from commitments into implementation, moving beyond broad calls for greater ocean–climate action and focusing instead on scaling proven, high-impact, ready-to-implement ocean-based solutions, most particularly for mitigation, which remains underprioritised despite the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By delivering concrete progress in this area, ocean–climate action can become a concrete example of the implementation-driven approach Türkiye seeks to champion.
BBNJ COP 1 - Building the foundations for BBNJ implementation, with climate action in mind
After nearly two decades of negotiations, the BBNJ Agreement – also known as the High Seas Treaty – entered into force on 17 January 2026 and has since been ratified by 102 countries, marking a historic step towards more coordinated ocean governance. Yet, the real work is only beginning: at the first Conference of the Parties to the Agreement – COP1 – scheduled for early 2027, Parties will begin building the institutional and operational architecture needed to turn the Agreement into a functioning framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
The treaty provides, for the first time, an overarching framework for establishing fully and highly protected marine protected areas (MPAs) in the High Seas – which covers nearly two-thirds of the global ocean, and which are essential to reach the globally-agreed target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. Importantly, the treaty provides pathways for strengthening assessment and management of human activity outside protected areas. In a further push to turn ambition into action, a group of countries under the leadership of Chile, called the “First Movers,” has agreed to work together to lay the groundwork for the first generation of high seas MPAs, aiming to have proposals ready for consideration and adoption by COP1.
Reached in a challenging geopolitical context, the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty marks a victory for multilateralism, a reminder of what collective action can achieve. As the world looks towards BBNJ COP 1, the Treaty stands as an unprecedented opportunity to connect nations around a shared ambition to protect the ocean and accelerate action at the intersection of ocean and climate.
Following the blue thread
On paper, these conferences belong to separate processes but follow the “Blue Thread” far enough, and they reveal themselves as pieces of the same puzzle, as decisions made across these forums can reinforce one another and shape how the ocean, biodiversity and climate nexus is implemented. These connections are tangible: the BBNJ Agreement can help turn the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 target into reality complementing conservation efforts within national waters. From biodiversity to climate, the thread then continues with COP17 presenting an opportunity to strengthen synergies across the three Rio Conventions.
Together, they can create a more coherent and effective response to the interconnected challenges facing our planet. The blue thread has been there all along – the challenge now is to follow it further, turning these connections into coordinated implementation.