The ocean is not just a victim of environmental decline – it is a foundation of global development. From climate resilience to food security to poverty reduction, ocean health now stands as a critical barometer of our capacity to achieve the SDGs
SDG 14
Life below water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Targets
Indicators
Target
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
Indicators
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
Target
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Indicators
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
Target
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels * Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
Indicators
14.3.1
Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations
Target
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
Indicators
14.4.1
Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels
Target
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
Indicators
14.5.1
Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas
Target
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
Indicators
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Target
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
Indicators
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
Target
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Indicators
14.a.1
Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology
Target
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
Indicators
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/ policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small-scale fisheries
Target
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of “The future we want”
Indicators
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
-
-
The ocean, climate’s regulator
Ocean — Global
Restoring the ocean’s health is vital to achieving many of the SDGs, as humankind will need the ocean to provide more food, energy, and jobs. Perhaps less well understood – but critical for our survival – is the vital role a healthy ocean will play in SDG 13: tackling climate change
-
-
A decade after Paris: can COPs finally accelerate climate action?
Climate — Global
The world is warming faster than our systems can respond. How can the COP process turn new commitments into action before the window for impact closes?
-
A new era of Earth observation (EO) – satellite-based monitoring of the planet – is transforming how we measure and manage environmental risk. But as the view from space grows sharper, so too does the imperative to turn intelligence into action
-
Valuing the whole system: a new approach to ocean climate action
Climate — Global
Coastal ecosystems play a vital role in stabilizing the climate, yet global policy still values them mainly for their ability to absorb and store carbon. As COP30 unfolds, a new approach argues for recognizing the ocean as a living system – where carbon, biodiversity, and human welfare are inseparable
-
Low carbon tipping points
Climate — Global
Renewable energy is surging, costs are falling, and investment is booming. Yet questions remain over whether this momentum marks an irreversible turning point – and how quickly fossil fuels can follow suit
-
COP30: an opportunity beyond climate
Climate — Global
Global instability and rising emissions threaten to derail progress just as the world reaches the critical 1.5°C threshold. COP30 in Brazil offers a chance to turn ambition into action – but only if multilateralism can overcome today’s fractured geopolitics
-
Bridging the divide: using technology and AI to close the development gap
Data and monitoring — Global
Digital innovation can drive progress toward the SDGs – yet the countries that stand to gain the most often face the highest barriers to adoption. We need a more inclusive model of technology transfer to close, not widen, the global development gap
-
Can the circular economy revive the SDGs?
Climate — Global
With the Sustainable Development Goals at risk of falling short by 2030, a circular economy model could be the revitalizing force we need. By embracing the mutually reinforcing approach of sustainability and circularity, we can accelerate progress toward existing targets – and inspire a transformative vision for the decades ahead
-
Can existing market economies ever become fully circular?
Climate — Global
While the world champions a shift toward circular economies, markets cling to linear growth principles that undermine real progress. True circularity requires a departure from systems designed for extraction, consumption, waste, and return on investment
