Today, Germany’s first-ever National Ocean Conference took place in Berlin under the title “Lebendige Meere” (Living Oceans). Hosted by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Germany’s Commissioner for the Ocean, Sebastian Unger, the event focused on how ocean protection is being prioritized at the national level.
Key topics included:
- Disruption of the biological carbon pump by plastic pollution
- Strengthening ocean-based carbon sinks and implementing the 30×30 biodiversity targets
- Progress on the UN High Seas Treaty and the EU Ocean Pact
- Urgent action on deep-sea mining, overfishing, and marine pollution
- Empowering youth through ocean literacy, and scaling initiatives like Brazil’s national blue curriculum
- Building multilateral strategies for resilient and just ocean governance
These discussions are not isolated. They directly contribute to the momentum building toward the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, where coordinated international action will be essential.
More information (in German) here