Brian Barton
The United Nations (UN) has taken several steps to address ocean pollution, recognizing that marine pollution poses a significant threat to the health of the world's oceans and the planet. The UN's Sustainable Development Goal 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. To achieve this, the UN has organized Ocean Conferences, the most recent of which took place in Nice, France, in 2025, with nearly 200 countries in attendance. These conferences have resulted in voluntary commitments from governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector to combat marine pollution, reduce plastic waste, ban fishing subsidies, and support vulnerable nations. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) leads initiatives like the Clean Seas Campaign, which has garnered thousands of pledges to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution. Additionally, the Regional Seas Programme addresses pollution from land-based and marine sources, including plastic pollution, agricultural runoff, and oil spills. As of May 2024, 8.4% of the ocean is protected through marine protected areas, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims for 30% coverage by 2030. While progress has been made, the UN continues to push for more aggressive action to address the urgent issue of ocean pollution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marine protected area coverage | Increased more than tenfold since 2000, with 8.4% of the ocean protected as of May 2024 |
| Marine pollution addressed by | Target 14.1, with over 550 commitments announced |
| Clean Seas Campaign | Launched in 2017, with 63 countries as signatories |
| Regional Seas Programme | Leads efforts to address pollution from land-based and marine-based sources, including plastic pollution |
| UN Ocean Conference | Held in June 2025 in Nice, France, with nearly 200 countries in attendance; resulted in progress on curbing plastics and illegal fishing |
| High Seas Treaty | Signed by 50 countries to put 30% of the ocean into protected areas |
| Individual action | Key to ocean restoration, with a focus on reducing single-use plastic |
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What You'll Learn
- The UN's Clean Seas Campaign encourages countries to fight marine litter and plastic pollution
- The Regional Seas Programme addresses marine pollution from land and sea-based sources
- The UN Ocean Conference aims to protect marine life and curb plastic pollution and illegal fishing
- The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to safeguard biodiversity in 30% of oceans by 2030
- The UN's Goal 14 focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources
The UN's Clean Seas Campaign encourages countries to fight marine litter and plastic pollution
Marine pollution, particularly from plastics, poses a significant threat to the health of the world's oceans, marine biodiversity, human health, and economic activities. The United Nations (UN) has recognised the urgency of addressing this issue and has taken several measures to combat marine litter and plastic pollution. One of the key initiatives led by the UN is the Clean Seas Campaign.
The Clean Seas Campaign, launched in 2017, is a voluntary commitment under the UN's Ocean Conference. The campaign has gained significant traction, with thousands of pledges from NGOs and individuals, along with almost 40 national pledges. The primary objective of the Clean Seas Campaign is to encourage countries to take action against marine litter and plastic pollution. By joining the Clean Seas Campaign, countries agree to the campaign's objectives and are provided with a platform to showcase their efforts and encourage global collaboration. As of 2022, 63 countries have become signatories, including landlocked nations like Paraguay and Uganda, demonstrating a united global effort to tackle marine plastic pollution.
The campaign focuses on a "source-to-sea" approach, recognising that key waterbodies in upstream countries, such as rivers and lakes, are significant pathways for the flow of plastics and litter into the oceans. By engaging governments at the source, the campaign aims to raise awareness, strengthen legislation, and promote better business and disposal practices to reduce plastic pollution. This includes addressing issues such as single-use plastics, plastic bags, bottles, straws, microbeads in cosmetics, and abandoned fishing gear.
The Clean Seas Campaign also aligns with other UN initiatives, such as the Regional Seas Programme, which addresses pollution from both land-based and marine-based sources. This programme integrates science, policy, and partnerships to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development. It tackles various forms of pollution, including agricultural runoff, industrial waste, marine litter, and oil spills, through the implementation of regional strategies and the adoption of regulations.
Through the Clean Seas Campaign and other initiatives, the UN is driving international cooperation and action to combat marine litter and plastic pollution. These efforts are crucial in mitigating the impact of pollution on the oceans and ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources for future generations.
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The Regional Seas Programme addresses marine pollution from land and sea-based sources
Marine pollution is one of the greatest threats to the health of the world's oceans, and it takes many forms, including plastic pollution, agricultural runoff, industrial and municipal waste, marine litter, and oil spills. Each of these forms of pollution has significant implications for marine biodiversity, human health, and economic activities.
The Regional Seas Programme plays a leading role in addressing marine pollution from land and sea-based sources. It integrates science, policy, and partnerships to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development. The Programme works with global and regional partners to implement region-specific strategies that reduce pollution's impact on oceans, coasts, and communities.
Through its Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs), the Regional Seas Programme addresses pollution from the coast, watercourses, and the atmosphere. The Conventions and protocols vary in their coverage of offshore installations and waste disposal under the seabed, accessed by tunnel or pipeline. They also adopt regulations for land-based sources of marine pollution, prohibiting the release of "blacklisted" substances into the marine environment.
For example, the Western Indian Ocean (Nairobi Convention) region's LBSA Protocol specifically targets pollution from land-based sources such as agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and urban pollution. Similarly, the Wider Caribbean (Cartagena Convention) region focuses on tackling land-based pollution through the LBS Protocol, addressing pollutants such as sewage, chemicals, and agricultural runoff.
The Regional Seas Programme's comprehensive approach to addressing marine pollution from land and sea-based sources is crucial to protecting the health of the world's oceans and promoting sustainable development.
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The UN Ocean Conference aims to protect marine life and curb plastic pollution and illegal fishing
The health of the ocean is intimately tied to human health. Oceans provide key natural resources, including food, medicines, biofuels, and other products. They also help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution, and their coastal ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms. Oceans also act as the planet's greatest carbon sink.
However, marine pollution is reaching extreme levels, with over 17 million metric tons of plastic clogging the ocean in 2021, a figure set to double or triple by 2040. Plastic is the most harmful type of ocean pollution. Of the 11 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean, approximately 80% comes from land-based sources and works its way to the sea through lakes, rivers, and other waterways. Marine plastic debris has impacted over 600 marine species. Both the physical plastic and the chemicals within them are life-threatening to marine animals.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the Clean Seas Campaign, which has generated thousands of pledges from NGOs and individuals to beat pollution, along with almost 40 national pledges, leading to many countries banning plastics as a concrete step to combat marine litter. The Regional Seas Programme leads efforts to address pollution from both land-based and marine-based sources, including plastic pollution, integrating science, policy, and partnerships to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development.
Marine protected area coverage has increased more than tenfold since 2000: as of May 2024, 8.4% of the ocean is protected through 18,200 marine protected areas and 199 other area-based conservation measures. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commits to establishing protected areas to safeguard areas of particular importance for biodiversity, adding up to cover 30% of the oceans by 2030.
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The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to safeguard biodiversity in 30% of oceans by 2030
Marine pollution is reaching unprecedented levels, with an estimated 75 to 199 million tons of plastic in the ocean. This plastic pollution has impacted over 600 marine species and is projected to nearly triple by 2040. In response to this growing crisis, the United Nations has taken several actions to address ocean pollution and safeguard biodiversity.
One of the key initiatives is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF was adopted at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022. The framework aims to address the dangerous decline in nature, which threatens the survival of 1 million species and impacts the lives of billions of people.
The Kunming-Montreal GBF sets global targets to be achieved by 2030 and beyond, including the ambitious "30 by 30" target. This target aims to safeguard biodiversity in at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. This builds on the progress made in expanding marine protected areas, with 8.4% of the ocean currently protected through various conservation measures as of May 2024.
The GBF consists of four overarching goals for 2050, including halting human-induced species extinction, sustainably using biodiversity, equitably sharing benefits, and securing financial resources and technical cooperation to implement the framework. It is promoted as a "Paris Agreement for Nature" and is intended to act as a comprehensive sister agreement to the Paris Climate Agreement.
The United Nations has also been working to address ocean pollution through other initiatives. For example, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has led the Clean Seas campaign, which 63 countries have joined to combat marine litter and plastic pollution. Additionally, the UN has held Ocean Conferences, bringing together experts to discuss solutions and push for international commitments to combat pollution, including at sea. These conferences have resulted in voluntary commitments focused on marine protection, pollution control, and support for vulnerable nations.
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The UN's Goal 14 focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources
The health of the ocean is intimately tied to human health. Oceans provide key natural resources, including food, medicines, biofuels, and other products. They also help with the breakdown and removal of waste and pollution, and their coastal ecosystems act as buffers to reduce damage from storms. Oceans also act as the planet's greatest carbon sink.
The UN's Goal 14 focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources. Marine pollution, which is addressed by target 14.1, is one of the areas that received the most attention in the process, with over 550 commitments announced. These commitments include measures such as reducing or banning plastic bags, bottles, straws, and microbeads in cosmetics, organizing coastal and ocean cleanups, and addressing abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear, known as ghost nets.
At the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in 2024, thousands of people gathered to push for a new international commitment to combat pollution, including at sea. The Lisbon Declaration, adopted at the conference, will help protect marine and coastal ecosystems. The conference also resulted in a panel of experts discussing marine pollution and focusing on finding solutions. They emphasized the need for a global approach to combat marine pollution effectively.
The UNEP's Clean Seas campaign is another initiative that fights marine litter and plastic pollution using a source-to-sea approach. As of May 2024, 8.4% of the ocean is protected through 18,200 marine protected areas and 199 other area-based conservation measures. However, action is not advancing at the speed or scale required to meet Goal 14.
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Frequently asked questions
The UN has launched the Clean Seas Campaign, which has generated thousands of pledges from NGOs and individuals, and almost 40 national pledges, leading to many countries banning plastics. The UN has also urged countries to adopt policies to beat plastic pollution.
The Regional Seas Programme plays a leading role in addressing the sources and impacts of sea-based pollution, including oil spills, ocean dumping, and emissions from shipping activities. The Programme works with global and regional partners to reduce pollution's impact on oceans, coasts, and communities.
The Regional Seas Programme also addresses land-based sources of pollution, such as agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and urban pollution. The Programme promotes sustainable management practices and fosters international cooperation for cleaner oceans.
The UN has held Ocean Conferences to further the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. The conferences have resulted in voluntary commitments from governments and other stakeholders focused on marine protection, pollution control, and high-seas governance.
