Key COP28 Sessions: Protecting Nature for Climate, Lives and Livelihoods

French President Emmanuel Macron announced partnerships to develop high-quality forest economies. He called for the creation of an international carbon and biodiversity exchange by COP30 in Belém in Brazil.

He also announced progress on protecting the oceans.

By the time France hosts the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025, President Macron said his government was working to conclude international law updates, including ratification of the Treaty of the High Seas, the endorsement of a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution and the universalisation of agreements on illegal fishing.

Major work is also ongoing to prevent exploitation of the seabed, with 24 countries already making the same commitment as France.  A major summit on the blue economy is being held in Monaco to accelerate marine innovation. In New York next year, France and Kazakhstan are organising a new One Planet Summit on Water Governance on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The Prime Minister of Tonga, Siaosi Sovaleni, announced Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity, an initiative with three ambitious goals. These are: 100% effective sustainable ocean management, including 30% protection of the blue Pacific continent; healthy, protected people who are thriving because of robust food systems, underpinned by resilient ecosystems, and fit-for-purpose financing. 

Norway’s President Jonas Gahr Støre invited all ocean coastal states to unite in the goal of 100% sustainable ocean management and to endorse the Ocean Action Declaration launched by the Ocean Panel at COP28.

Razan Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced Oceans Breakthrough, a project to protect 30% of our oceans and help the oceans support renewable energy, with the installation of more than 350 gigawatts of offshore power.

Al Mubarak also announced a significant philanthropic injection of $250 million in ocean conservation by investors including Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the launch of the Nature Finance Hub led by the Asian Development Bank, with “catalytic commitment” of $1 billion towards nature-based solutions.

Restoring our oceans and natural ecosystems is a core part of our sustainability efforts. At DP World, we focus on blue carbon initiatives, including mangrove planting and coral reef restoration, and work with our partners such as the World Ocean Council and Blue Marine Foundation to support ocean health and the communities around the world.