OCEAN-CLIMATE DIPLOMACY
Big ocean-climate solutions live or die on political decisions. The Ocean-Climate Diplomacy Initiative (OCDI) provides the campaigning, communications and political intelligence needed to turn ambition into action, advancing every ORCA pillar and reshaping the global policy landscape for ocean and climate.
Embedding ocean priorities in global climate policy
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International agreements on shipping, fisheries, biodiversity, and carbon markets could enable hundreds of megatonnes of avoided or sequestered CO2 annually if aligned with climate goals.
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Philanthropy can provide flexible resources to drive sophisticated ocean-climate campaigns, build networks of ocean-climate policy champions and support underfunded civil society, Indigenous, and Majority World negotiators shaping these frameworks.
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Global ocean diplomacy remains dominated by state and industry interests, with equity and justice and ocean-climate voices underrepresented.
PROBLEM
Ocean-based climate solutions are gaining recognition, but political action has not kept pace with the scale or urgency of the crisis. Despite landmark initial commitments on shipping, biodiversity and the high seas, many agreements remain weak, fragmented and vulnerable to backsliding. Powerful incumbents continue to defend the status quo, while ocean-climate priorities are overlooked by elected officials and struggle to compete for attention in crowded international fora.
At the same time, the advocacy landscape is under-resourced, poorly coordinated and lacks the political representation needed to succeed. Different campaigns often target the same governments and institutions, but without shared strategy, narrative or intelligence. The result is lost leverage at precisely the moments when decisions that shape the future of the ocean and our planet are being made.
GRANTEES
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OCEANS 5
Oceans 5 is an international funders’ collaborative dedicated to stopping overfishing, establishing marine protected areas, and constraining offshore oil and gas development
OPPORTUNITY
The Ocean-Climate Diplomacy Initiative is designed to turn fragmented influence into coordinated leverage. Working across all ORCA pillars, it supports civil society and aligned governments with the strategy, communications and political intelligence they need to target the right decision-makers, at the right moments, with the right message.
Led by Oceans 5, OCDI provides funding and strategic support across shipping, offshore wind, blue carbon, Arctic protection, marine carbon removal and frontline communities. It strengthens campaigns with high-level advisers, real-time intelligence and coordinated communications, while building capacity in priority regions where ocean-climate leadership is growing but under-resourced. Acting as connective tissue, OCDI helps the ocean-climate field speak with greater clarity, coherence and force at the moments that matter most.
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8-14bn tons
Emissions reductions per year catalyzed by this work by 2050.
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25-40m km²
Ocean protection catalyzed by this work by 2050.
IMPACT GOAL
By 2028, OCDI will have materially strengthened the political foundations needed for large-scale ocean-climate action. This includes securing stronger outcomes at key global institutions and fora, supporting the implementation of major international commitments, and helping unlock ambitious policy shifts across multiple ORCA pillars.
Over the longer term, the work will help achieve emissions reductions of 8-14 billion tonnes a year by mid-century, alongside protection for 25-40 million km² of ocean. By building political capacity, aligning campaigns and sharpening strategy, OCDI helps ensure that ocean-based climate solutions move from promise to practice, at speed and scale.
WHAT WE FUND
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![Northern lights over snow-capped mountains and ocean, night sky with stars.]()
ARCTIC CONSERVATION
Safeguarding ecosystems and Indigenous livelihoods
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![A man in a brown jacket and wide-brimmed hat is standing in a body of water, holding a large fish. Two boats are nearby in the water, with a backdrop of trees and a cloudy sunset sky.]()
BLUE CARBON+
Protecting and restoring mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and kelp
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![Two elderly people, a man and a woman, are repairing fishing nets. The woman is wearing a purple hijab, while the man is wearing a white shirt.]()
COASTAL FRONTLINE INITIATIVE
Strengthening community resilience and securing tenure rights
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![Aerial shot of a sandy coastline with clear green water and artisanal fishing vessels pulled up on the foreshore]()
MARINE CARBON REMOVAL
Responsible and inclusive ocean-based carbon removal
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![A white wind turbine against a clear blue sky.]()
OFFSHORE WIND
Enabling fast, fair & responsible development in emerging markets
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![A large cargo ship with colorful containers sailing in calm waters under a partly cloudy sky.]()
DECARBONIZING SHIPPING
Accelerating zero-emission fuels, ports and policy frameworks
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![Two fishermen sitting on traditional round basket boats on a beach at sunset, with fishing boats anchored in the background under a cloudy sky.]()
OCEAN-CLIMATE DIPLOMACY
Embedding ocean priorities in global climate policy
