Global Ocean Governance
Research urges for stronger global coordination to protect the ocean
Researchers are urging governments to strengthen and better coordinate global ocean policy, warning that fragmented governance is undermining international efforts to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and marine pollution.
The research, which was co‑led by Dr Daniela Diz, an expert in ocean governance at the Lyell Centre, Heriot‑Watt University, alongside Dr Barbara Neumann and Ben Boteler from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Germany, examined global progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14 on life below water.
Despite recent international agreements and political commitments, the research found that action to protect and sustainably manage the ocean remains uneven and too slow. Climate change impacts are accelerating, pressures on marine biodiversity are increasing, and pollution - particularly plastics and land‑based runoff - continue to exceed safe limits.
The research highlights major challenges including weak coordination between climate and marine policy, gaps between international commitments and national implementation, and chronic under‑funding of ocean protection.
Pressure on marine ecosystems is intensifying, but policies to protect the ocean are still too often developed in silos. Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and ocean use are deeply interconnected, yet governance systems rarely reflect that reality.
It also points to recent progress, including the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework, the landmark UN agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national waters (BBNJ), and renewed political momentum following the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice. Together, these developments signal growing international recognition of the ocean’s role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
However, the research stressed that while these agreements mark important milestones, their success will depend on sustained political commitment, coordinated follow‑up, and effective implementation across sectors and levels of governance.
Lastly, it argued that meeting global ocean goals will require governments to adopt more integrated, evidence‑based and inclusive approaches, which includes linking land and sea, aligning climate and biodiversity policy, and translating international commitments into action at national and local levels.