Global Call on Governments to Commit Banning Offshore Fossil Fuel Exploration at UN Ocean Conference
Open letter signed by 111 NGOs urges governments to prohibit hydrocarbon searches at sea and protect marine ecosystems.
PRESS RELEASE
Global Call on Governments to Commit Banning Offshore Fossil Fuel Exploration at UN Ocean Conference
- More than 100 civil society organisations from around the world are calling on governments to immediately ban any further exploration for oil and gas in the Ocean and to phase out offshore drilling for fossil fuels.
- The letter, initiated by the international maritime conservation organisation OceanCare, calls for action to move away from fossil fuels and protect the Ocean, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 presents key opportunity to agree on critical conservation measures towards resilient and healthy marine ecosystems fit for climate protection.
Today, a coalition of 111 environmental organisations from six continents has published an open letter calling on governments around the world to include a commitment to ban the search for new oil and gas deposits in the seabed and phase out existing extraction in the final declaration of the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3). The conference, scheduled for June 2025 in Nice, France, represents a critical opportunity to advance both ocean protection and climate action.
Nicolas Entrup, Director of International Relations at OceanCare, explained:
“If we truly want to protect the Ocean, we must end the destructive practice of oil and gas exploration in marine environments immediately. These activities cause some of the most intense noise in our seas, with severe and even deadly impacts on marine life – from the smallest plankton to large whales. Meanwhile, the Ocean has already absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat from carbon emissions, leading to rising seas, melting ice, and intensifying marine heatwaves. We cannot continue to exploit the very ecosystems that are buffering us from the worst impacts of climate change. The Third UN Ocean Conference must be a moment of action, not just of empty phrases.
“This open letter represents a unified call for coherence between climate and ocean policy. We cannot address the climate emergency without protecting the Ocean, and we cannot save marine ecosystems without tackling fossil fuel production.
The diverse coalition – including marine conservation organisations, climate justice groups, and environmental NGOs from both the Global North and South – emphasises that continuing to explore for new hydrocarbon reserves is incompatible with meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals and protecting marine ecosystems.
The letter highlights how billions of dollars continue to be invested in seabed exploration for oil and gas, even within marine protected areas, despite scientific evidence pointing to the urgent need to halt new fossil fuel development. The search for new deposits involves seismic surveys using powerful airguns that produce some of the loudest human-made sounds in the ocean, causing widespread harm to marine life across entire food webs.
Carlos Bravo , Ocean Policy Expert at OceanCare, added:
“European seas are particularly vulnerable to both climate impacts and direct damage from oil and gas exploration activities, and European governments have a special responsibility to lead on this issue. France, Spain and Portugal have already banned hydrocarbon exploration in their waters, while some other EU Member States, such as Denmark, have taken serious steps to limit it. Now we need this approach to be adopted and enforced globally, in full coherence with the COP28 global commitment to phase out fossil fuels. We're calling on the EU and its member states to agree effective conservation and restoration measures in the EU Ocean Pact and to push for strong language in the final declaration of the UN Ocean Conference.”
The joint NGO call is part of a broader effort to ensure that the UNOC3 becomes a turning point for both ocean protection and climate action.
ENDS
Media contact
- Dániel Fehér, Head of Press, OceanCare: +49 176 81434026; dfeher@oceancare.org
Publication
- Open Letter from NGOs: “End Fossil Fuel Exploration in the Ocean” (with list of signatories)
Notes to editors
The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) will be held in Nice, France, in June 2025. Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, this high-level conference focuses on accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water). UNOC3 provides a crucial opportunity for governments to commit to concrete actions for ocean protection and address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
OceanCare's initiative “Because Our Planet Is Blue” calls for six specific actions to protect the Ocean, including as its first demand: “Ban offshore oil and gas exploration and phase out existing fossil fuel extraction.” The campaign highlights that despite Paris Agreement targets, billions of dollars continue to be spent exploring for oil and gas in the seabed, even within marine protected areas.
Image material
- Because Our Planet Is Blue campaign visual “Oil and Gas”
- Because Our Planet Is Blue campaign visual “Underwater Noise”
About OceanCare
OceanCare is an international marine conservation non-governmental organisation, founded in Switzerland in 1989. The organisation pursues the protection and restoration of the marine environment and marine wildlife with a strong policy focus, combining research, conservation projects and education. OceanCare’s remit includes marine pollution, climate change, marine mammal hunting and the environmental consequences of fisheries. Its work is supported by a team of scientific, legal and policy experts, and involves strategic collaboration with civil society organisations and coalitions around the world. OceanCare is an officially accredited partner and observer to several UN conventions and other international fora. www.oceancare.org --
OceanCare Dániel Fehér, Head of Press Gerbestrasse 6 CH-8820 Waedenswil - Switzerland +49 176 81434026 dfeher@oceancare.org www.oceancare.org