Governments across the world have recognized that the ocean is a solution to climate change, with 92% of the third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) including ocean action. This new high point in ambition will require strengthened support for implementation, as nations call for support in governance, technology transfer, and more generally, creating an investable environment. And while the ocean has certainly moved from the margins to the mainstream of climate action, there is still progress to be made in the industry sectors that have the greatest potential to deliver low-carbon development, strengthen coastal resilience and create equitable opportunities for coastal populations in the new economy.

WRI’s Ocean Climate Initiative works to mainstream ocean-based climate action into national policies, finance systems and global climate processes. WRI translates science into practical policy tools to help countries embed ocean measures into NDCs and long-term strategies, align public and private finance behind bankable project pipelines and ensure ocean economy transitions are equitable and inclusive. By reshaping enabling conditions, we can unlock ocean sectors as drivers of climate, nature and development goals.

By 2030, the initiative aims to ensure that all island and coastal countries make ambitious ocean-based climate commitments in national strategies backed by the finance, credible data and equitable implementation pathways needed to deliver them.

The Ocean Climate Initiative accelerates systems change across five interconnected workstreams:

1) Policy Integration and National Planning

WRI helps countries embed ocean-based mitigation and adaptation measures into national climate commitments through technical and policy assistance. In collaboration with the Ocean Panel, Blue NDC Taskforce and CHAMP members, we strengthen national capacity to turn ambition into implementation.

2. Finance and Implementation Support

WRI convenes multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, climate funds and private investors to help countries create investble ocean transitions. This includes mapping financial flows and financing mechanisms, facilitating project preparation and exploring blended finance strategies to de-risk investments and scale ocean-aligned climate finance.

3. Political Leadership and Diplomacy

Building on the successes at the 2025 UN climate summit COP30, WRI works to cement ocean mitigation and adaptation pathways within UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes and future COP agendas by leveraging high-level leadership from the Ocean Panel and Blue NDC Taskforce, among others, and supporting coordinated negotiating positions that link ambition to finance and implementation support.

4. Knowledge, Data and Accountability

WRI publishes a report series on the state of ocean-based climate action in NDCs, provides technical expertise in data and technology for developing dashboards and tracking tools — including the Ocean Breakthroughs Dashboard and Systems Change Lab — and develops indicators to track the changing enabling conditions for implementing ocean climate commitments, ensuring progress is measurable and transparent.

5. Equity and Just Transition

WRI builds consensus on the just transition to an equitable ocean economy, including defining the cross-cutting actions that can enhance inclusive and representative development planning and expand access to opportunity in the sustainable ocean economy for all coastal populations (including Indigenous Peoples and local communities).

By 2030, the initiative aims to ensure that all island and coastal countries make ambitious ocean-based climate commitments in national strategies backed by a knowledge that finance, credible data and equitable implementation pathways are secured.

Project partners: Oceans 5, ORCA, Ocean Conservancy, Ocean & Climate Platform