RELEASE: Ocean Panel Commits to Five More Years with New Workplan to Propel Ocean Action
New York (September 24, 2025) — The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) today committed to five more years of urgent, coordinated ocean action, backed by a bold new workplan through 2030. The Panel — comprising of 18 heads of state and government from coastal and island nations — works to accelerate progress toward a healthy ocean, resilient communities and a sustainable blue economy, amid mounting threats from climate change, overfishing and biodiversity loss.
At its annual meeting, held at the United Arab Emirates’ Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the Ocean Panel unveiled a renewed agenda focused on moving decisively from commitments to action — and from ambition to global leadership. The updated workplan prioritizes strengthening global ocean data systems, which remain underfunded despite being essential for informed, sustainable decision-making. It also includes launching a new ocean finance working group to help mobilize the estimated $550 billion needed each year to support the shift to a sustainable ocean economy, by unlocking investments from both public and private sectors.
Efforts will also be intensified to accelerate the roll out of Sustainable Ocean Plans, with the goal of achieving 100% sustainable management of the world’s national waters. Panel leaders are calling on all ocean and coastal states to join them in this ambition through the 100% Alliance.
The announcement builds on momentum from the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France (UNOC3), where world leaders underscored the ocean’s role in tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustainable development. Themed “The Road from Nice to Belém and Beyond: Advancing Ocean Action for Climate, Nature and People”, the Ocean Panel meeting included discussions on national ocean climate actions and collective progress toward the Paris Agreement goals.
“The ocean’s future depends on sustained global cooperation and the Ocean Panel’s next five years will play a critical role in driving it,” said Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of Palau and Ocean Panel Co-chair. “The threats facing the ocean are too great for short-term efforts. They require long-term commitment, bold leadership and impactful delivery. The new workplan will ensure the Ocean Panel continues to at least 2030, with a strong focused on improving ocean data, advancing sustainable fisheries and boosting the ocean’s role in tackling climate change.”
“The Ocean Panel has significantly raised global ambition and deepened our understanding of how to sustainably use and protect our ocean,” said Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway and Ocean Panel Co-chair. “However, the ocean continues to suffer from mounting challenges. The Ocean Panel will work together and with partners to scale up solutions that protect nature, support people and create jobs, and strengthen the ocean’s role in tackling climate change.”
Ocean Panel members reaffirmed support for recent developments in global ocean governance, including the High Seas Treaty reached the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force last week. 11 Ocean Panel members have ratified the treaty so far, complementing their commitment to 100% sustainable ocean management.
Members also welcomed the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, ratified on September 15, 2025. This critical agreement targets harmful subsidies that encourage overfishing, setting the stage for further actions to protect vulnerable fish stocks.
“It’s clear that we must place the ocean at the heart of global action, recognizing its vital role in regulating our planet, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting communities. That is why the UAE championed ocean–climate action as hosts of COP28 and is now continuing its long tradition of marine and coastal conservation through its Sustainable Ocean Plan journey as part of the Ocean Panel,” said Her Excellency Ms. Razan Al Mubarak, IUCN President and UAE’s Sherpa to the Ocean Panel. “Nature conservation — from mangroves to marine life — is central to sustainable ocean planning. As we look ahead to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in the UAE and COP30 in Belém, this collective action will be critical to delivering the just, inclusive, and sustainable ocean economy the world urgently needs.”
Key priorities of the Ocean Panel’s new 5-year workplan:
- 100% Sustainable ocean management: Supporting member countries to complete and implement Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs), while continuing to call on all coastal and ocean states to join this commitment through the 100% Alliance campaign
- Global Ocean Observations: Securing reliable, accessible ocean data by expanding observation systems and calling for collective investment in this critical global resource.
- Ocean-Climate nexus: Expanding nature-based solutions such as mangrove and seagrass restoration, and championing the integration of ocean-based solutions into countries’ national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) through the Blue NDC Challenge.
- Sustainable fisheries and aquatic foods: Advancing climate-resilient seafood systems that support nutrition, livelihoods and economic security for coastal communities.
- Mobilizing finance: Addressing the $550 billion annual ocean finance gap by unlocking scalable, inclusive investment solutions aligned with sustainability goals.
- Equity and inclusion: Embedding equity into all aspects of governance, and elevating the voices of Indigenous peoples, women, youth and local communities.
About the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy
Co-chaired by Norway and Palau, the Ocean Panel includes Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau, Portugal, Seychelles, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Together, these 18 nations represent 42% of the world’s coastlines, 37% of global EEZs, 18% of the world’s fisheries, 20% of the world’s shipping fleet. The Ocean Panel is supported by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean. Based on the shared understanding of the need to improve the state of the ocean, the countries in the Ocean Panel are committed to producing national sustainable ocean plans with the aim of sustainably managing 100% of the ocean area under national jurisdiction. Learn more at oceanpanel.org. World Resources Institute (WRI) serves as the Secretariat for the Ocean Panel. Learn more at www.wri.org/our-work/topics/ocean.
Local Action Helps Mainstream Net-Zero, Climate-Resilient Buildings in Mexico and India
Through the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative, WRI Mexico, WRI India and partners worked closely with local governments, developers and community stakeholders to advance net-zero carbon and resilient buildings (NZCRBs) in four cities. These local interventions are proving essential to mainstreaming NZCRBs, building capacity, and launching demonstration projects in additional cities and at the national level.
Advancing Local Action with Global ImpactBuildings are responsible for 36% of energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions globally. Without rapid decarbonization, the sector’s emissions could double by 2050 due to urbanization, population growth and increased demand for cooling as the planet warms. In this context, net-zero carbon and resilient buildings offer a major opportunity to align climate goals with economic and social benefits. Alongside cutting emissions, they can reduce energy bills, improve indoor air quality, lower urban temperatures and enhance disaster resilience.
Learn More: 4 Levers to Help Scale NZCRBs
Despite progress in some areas, NZCRBs still make up less than 1% of global building stock. We unpack the major barriers and lay out four levers that can help them scale faster. Read more.
Since 2023, the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative has worked with cities in India and Mexico to accelerate NZCRB implementation through the development of national whole life carbon roadmaps and City Action Plans. These roadmaps and action plans not only chart technical solutions in the buildings sector, but also identify the policy, finance, governance shifts and partnerships needed to make these solutions mainstream. Participating cities and countries gain access to tailored technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning and global advocacy platforms to raise ambition and unlock investment in NZCRBs. The initiative also works to link local pilot projects with national strategies and global best practices. This helps ensure that innovations can be scaled, adapted and replicated — bridging the gap between isolated success stories and market transformation.
The program puts a strong focus on how NZCRBs can unlock co-benefits and spur economic growth. Mexico, for example, has positioned energy-efficient construction as a competitive asset that can reduce operating costs, attract green investment and create new jobs. Additional benefits highlighted in India include improving public health through better air quality, reducing energy poverty and mitigating extreme heat in cities.
Through the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative, both Mexico and India are seeing local action spur national momentum toward a net-zero built environment.
Mexico: A National Roadmap Takes ShapeIn Mexico, WRI and Sustentabilidad para Mexico (SUMe) supported the cities of Monterrey and Hermosillo in developing City Action Plans, building on their near-term climate plans and decarbonization commitments. The cities identified transformative actions for the buildings sector from a whole lifecycle of carbon perspective and mapped them according to their urgency and priority.
These local efforts have helped catalyze a broader debate on how to embed net-zero targets into national housing subsidies, public works tenders and building codes. They have also fed into a series of working groups led by WRI México, SUMe and local stakeholders to design Mexico’s National Roadmap to decarbonize the built environment through the full building lifecycle. A national workshop in July 2025 convened more than 100 leaders from the construction sector, government, academia and civil society. This milestone event marked the culmination of a year-long process of technical studies, stakeholder consultations and scenario analysis designed to chart a credible pathway for decarbonizing Mexico’s buildings sector by mid-century.
The new roadmap sets out clear actions for the federal administration, including the adoption of mandatory energy codes, incentives for retrofits and low-carbon materials, and public procurement policies that prioritize NZCRBs. By linking climate ambition with economic opportunity, the plan positions Mexico to reduce building energy use by up to 35%, cut operating costs for households and businesses, stimulate demand for national green industries and create thousands of skilled jobs.
Participants stressed that without coordinated implementation across ministries and levels of government, the roadmap’s targets will remain aspirational, making cross-sector collaboration essential to turn vision into action. Ministries responsible for energy, housing and industry have already expressed interest in aligning their sectoral strategies with the roadmap’s milestones.
India: Cities Lead the Way on NZCRBsWRI India and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) worked with two fast-growing cities, Nashik and Thiruvananthapuram, to turn national climate targets into actionable local plans for NZCRBs.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, WRI collaborated with municipal officials, state agencies, architects and community groups to co-develop and launch a City-level NZCRB Action Plan. The plan identifies 20 priority actions spanning the entire building lifecycle, including developing carbon databases for materials, introducing green procurement guidelines, integrating NZCRB principles into urban zoning and building permits, and adopting demolition waste recovery systems. Thiruvananthapuram’s commitment builds on its existing 17 MW of municipal rooftop solar capacity and seeks to extend energy efficiency gains to both new and existing buildings. The plan also incorporates climate resilience measures to counteract rising urban heat and monsoon flooding risks.
Nashik, a historic city in Maharashtra, is seeing unprecedented infrastructure investments driven by the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, making this a critical moment for the city to consider its carbon footprint in the buildings and construction sector. Nashik has already established its Climate Action Plan, yet this does not address embodied carbon emissions. In the newly developed action plan for building sector decarbonization, WRI India and Nashik’s local government set transformative actions that address both operational and embodied carbon, such as mainstreaming the use of renewable energy, adopting energy efficiency measurement in all building types, establishing a database of low and zero-carbon materials that are locally produced, and collaborating with academic institutions to provide skill development programs related to building decarbonization.
With India’s urban population projected to reach 600 million by 2036, these interventions aim to help curb rising building emissions, which already make up 32% of the country’s total. At the same time, they can enhance liveability and equity for a rapidly urbanizing population. The two cities’ experiences will inform similar roadmaps in other urban areas, creating a blueprint for integrating climate, development and housing priorities.
From Roadmap to RolloutThe next phase in both countries focuses on implementation and scale.
In Mexico, stakeholders are working to establish a national steering committee that will oversee roadmap execution, track progress and coordinate policy across ministries. Pilot projects will be launched in public buildings to demonstrate cost-effective pathways to NZCRBs, with the goal of attracting blended finance and private sector participation.
In India, Thiruvananthapuram will move from planning to pilot implementation, starting with municipal facilities and affordable housing projects that integrate solar PV, passive cooling and efficient materials.
Both initiatives will require sustained capacity building for local governments, training programs for construction trades and stronger data systems to monitor building performance. WRI and partners will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange between cities and countries, ensuring lessons from early adopters inform global standards and funding priorities. Key areas for future collaboration include:
- Recommend and, where appropriate, found, steering committees to monitor, coordinate and enforce NZCRB standards in Mexico and India.
- Develop pathways to launch pilot projects under the City Action Plans and roadmaps to demonstrate scalable NZCRB delivery across public and private assets and infrastructure.
- Share a compendium of international best practices to mobilize private sector finance through incentives, blended finance and business model pilots, and learn from experts in the field.
- Evaluate and iterate, using monitoring frameworks embedded in city plans and national strategies to refine policy and expand impact.
The All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative reflects a pivotal inflection point: from defining net-zero carbon and resilient buildings to building actionable roadmaps grounded in local realities and ready to be implemented at scale. Globally, the initiative has expanded its network to include a consortium of local and global partners (such as the World Green Building Council, local green building councils and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) and participating jurisdictions. This provides a platform for cities, countries and industry representatives to share lessons on financing retrofits, scaling renewable integration and overcoming institutional barriers.
Early impacts demonstrate that roadmaps are not just documents — when co-created with stakeholders and tied to concrete investment and policy measures, they can become powerful accelerators of market change.
All in for a Net Zero Built Environment, supported by the We Mean Business Coalition, brings together key global partners — led by WRI, the World Green Building Council and World Business Council for Sustainable Development — to accelerate the implementation of net-zero carbon and resilient buildings by enhancing cross-sector and multi-level coordination. The objective is to accelerate market transformation and transition to a healthier, greener, more inclusive built environment. monterrey-mexico.jpg Cities Cities Buildings net-zero emissions Urban Efficiency & Climate Type Project Update Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Roxana Slavcheva Sumedha Malaviya Shyny Sam Fairuz LoutfiSTATEMENT: Now is the Time to Enforce, not Delay, the EU Deforestation Regulation
Brussels / The Hague (September 24, 2025) — The European Commission has once again proposed delaying the enforcement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), pushing back its start date for a second year in a row. The new implementation date would be late December 2026. By postponing enforcement yet again, the EU risks undermining the credibility of the law, its reliability as a partner to commodity-producing countries and its global climate commitments.
The regulation is designed to prevent commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation – such as coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, leather, palm oil, rubber and wood – from being sold on the EU market. The EUDR is one of the most comprehensive environmental laws ever passed, with the potential to reshape global supply chains.
Following is a statement by Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice-President and Regional Director for Europe of World Resources Institute:
“The European Commission’s new proposal to delay the EUDR is troubling. Forest loss reached record levels in 2024, with 6.7 million hectares of tropical rainforest destroyed — an area nearly the size of Ireland. Every minute, we lose the equivalent of 18 football fields of tropical forest. At a time when Europe itself is reeling from extreme summer heatwaves and record forest loss due to devastating wildfires, postponing protections for forests sends exactly the wrong signal.
“The Commission argues that certain systems aren’t ready yet. Yet all the elements legally mandated in the regulation to support implementation — IT systems, guidance, FAQs, and benchmarking — have been in place for months. Many businesses have already invested in traceability, from using satellite monitoring to training smallholder farmers. Producer countries such as Malaysia, Ghana and Vietnam are also building national systems to support compliance. Delaying for the second time undermines companies that have proactively prepared, sending the wrong market signal thereby creating additional uncertainty for businesses.
“Regardless of the delay, the EUDR, which already passed through the full legislative cycle in 2023, should remain as is. There is political pressure to erode the law by, for example, introducing a so-called ‘no-risk’ country category. Such a move would make the EUDR much less effective as it would undermine the due diligence system, which is at the core of the EUDR. Such a clause would create large loopholes for deforestation-linked products. Our analysis shows that exempting EU Member States or other countries from the declaration requirement would allow unscrupulous actors to launder products linked to deforestation — such as leather from Brazil — into EU supply chains.
“The EU accounts for 13–16% of global deforestation through imports, despite having just 7% of the world’s population, giving it a disproportionate responsibility. We call on the EU Council and EU Parliament to reject this delay and move forward with the enforcement as planned. Further delay would not ease implementation challenges; it would jeopardize forests, climate goals, Europe’s credibility.”
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