On Day 4 of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC2025), floating polar bear sculptures in the Port of Nice captured global attention — a powerful reminder of the urgency of the climate crisis.
The theme of the day: "Connecting the Ocean, Climate, and Biodiversity through Inclusive and Integrated Governance."
Key discussion highlights:
The need for clear indicators to track climate adaptation progress.
Launch of the Coral Bond Initiative to finance ocean protection.
Calls to blend traditional and Indigenous knowledge with modern science.
Warnings about the slow pace of action and a call to “democratize knowledge.”
Climate change is reshaping tuna fisheries in the Pacific and redrawing ocean boundaries.
The solution?
Stronger regional and international cooperation, innovative financing, community participation, and integrated approaches to climate, ocean, and biodiversity action.
As a representative of Small Island States put it:
"Cooperation is not a luxury... it is a necessity for survival."
