In March, Edinburgh Ocean Leaders took part in a workshop hosted by the Ocean & Climate Platform as part of a global “visioning” exercise to imagine a sustainable future for the ocean ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
This collaborative initiative — in partnership with the CNRS and Friends of Ocean Action, and with support from Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy — built on insights from the consultation A Call to All Ocean Voices, which highlighted civil society’s key expectations for UNOC3 and emphasised the need to look beyond 2030, anticipating future steps for SDG 14 while advancing current targets.
Through a participatory process, the exercise aimed to define a shared vision for the ocean’s future and chart pathways to achieve it. By fostering creativity and encouraging innovative solutions to today’s urgent challenges, the initiative seeks to inspire impactful action and deepen engagement across all ocean stakeholders.
The visioning workshop with Edinburgh Ocean Leaders followed a series of consultation exercises designed to shape the collective vision. The process began with a global consultation to gather innovative ideas and interventions, followed by an initial futures workshop with key stakeholders in February 2025 in Tanzania, which mapped out pathways toward a Post-2030 Agenda for the ocean.
During the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders workshop, participants first built on the visions and indicators developed in Tanzania, prioritising actions to strengthen ambition. On the second day, they worked to draft key messages to deliver at UNOC3 and developed strategies to secure political support.
Drawing from the conclusions of this visioning process, a collective civil society vision for a regenerative and equitable ocean future will be presented at UNOC3, alongside actionable steps to achieve it. This vision will be integrated into the outcomes of the conference, including the Nice Ocean Action Plan (the political declaration), ensuring it becomes part of UNOC3’s lasting legacy.
