Statement from Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management for the Republic of Vanuatu
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management for the Republic of Vanuatu
At this UN Ocean Conference, the stakes could not be clearer.
Vanuatu’s contributions to climate change are minimal, yet we – and our neighbours – suffer severe repeated climate impacts that devastate our economy and people. We are living through the collapse of ocean stability and witnessing a dangerous acceleration in sea-level rise and ocean temperatures.
Our oceans are increasingly hostile even to the very creatures that live in them. The consequences of this will ripple through the entire food chain, hitting vulnerable countries like Vanuatu the hardest and ultimately affecting all of humanity and future generations. The role of our ocean as our greatest carbon sink is being threatened.
The Nice Ocean Action Plan aligns with the standards set by the landmark International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Advisory Opinion delivered in May 2024, which made it clear: greenhouse gas emissions are marine pollution. And under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, all States are legally bound to prevent, reduce, and control them. This obligation extends not only to domestic emissions but to global ones as well.
Even so, plans like these are voluntary. Promises without enforcement. Declarations without duty.
Protecting the ocean from climate change should not be a matter of choice. We need concrete mechanisms and independent monitoring to ensure that nations uphold their legal responsibilities. Conferences like this one, and the upcoming COP30, must not leave frontline nations feeling that nothing is changing – despite the overwhelming urgency.
It is time to move beyond voluntary pledges to making climate action a binding legal duty. Climate action must be grounded in a robust framework of legal principles: human rights, the right to self-determination, the duty to prevent harm, precautionary approaches, intergenerational equity, and obligations enshrined in key international treaties – from the Biodiversity Convention to the UNFCCC to the Law of the Sea.
That’s why we eagerly await the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the broader climate obligations of nations, in hopes of a strong ruling supporting global accountability for the climate crisis and enforceable climate action.
It’s time for States to catch up with the law, with the science, and with the urgency of this moment.
Four southern African countries will convene this week to approve a comprehensive water management report for the Limpopo River Basin, marking a key step toward addressing critical transboundary environmental challenges.
Limpopo River
The Limpopo Watercourse Commission will host the basin-wide meeting from June 10 to 12, 2025, in Bilene, Gaza Province, for Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to consider the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Report.
The report identifies seven priority transboundary water-related environmental problems requiring urgent attention: land degradation, sedimentation, deteriorating water quality, loss of biodiversity, weak transboundary water resources management, resilience to climate variability and uncertainty about available water resources.
“The TDA provides a factual basis for the formulation of a SAP that will be negotiated and agreed upon by the four riparian countries and will be aligned with the national and regional policies of member states,” said Dr. Ebenizáo Chonguiça, LIMCOM senior technical advisor.
Each member state validated the draft report at the national level late last year. Basin-wide approval represents collective ownership of the analytical process and outcomes.
Once approved, the commission will begin formulating a strategic action programme for the basin.
The analysis is part of the “Integrated Transboundary River Basin Management for the Sustainable Development of the Limpopo River Basin” project.
LIMCOM implements the initiative in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, supported by the United Nations Development Programme through funding from the Global Environment Facility.
The project aims to improve living standards for basin populations while conserving resources and ecosystem services.
LIMCOM was established in 2003 through an agreement among the four member states to provide recommendations on Limpopo River usage and protection measures.
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) Worldwide has stressed the need to promote coastal resilience, policy and good governance in managing coastal resources in Nigeria.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Global President, Ijaw National Congress (INC)
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Global President, INC, said this on the occasion of the Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience Summit, which was held at Nice, France, on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
In a statement made available in Abuja on Sunday, Okaba in his presentation “Coastal Resilience Policy and Governance: Implications for Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Ijaw Land” said there’s need for a proactive approach to managing coastal resources.
He also stressed the need for protecting infrastructure and promoting sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities across Nigeria.
Okaba called on all stakeholders to join the INC in its effort towards a more resilient and sustainable future for Ijaw land.
According to him, coastal resilience, policy and governance are critical to the survival and prosperity of communities.
“We need to take a proactive approach to managing our coastal resources, protecting our infrastructure and promoting sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
The INC global president said the Ijaw, as an indigenous nation living in the Niger Delta, are no strangers to the devastating impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and oil pollution.
“Our people have borne the brunt of extractive exploitation, with our lands, waters, and ecosystems scarred by decades of neglect and abuse since 1956/1958, when oil and gas was first discovered in commercial quantities in Oloibiri in Ogbia Local Government Area of the present Bayelsa.”
He noted that the Ijaws occupy over 60 per cent of the entire Nigeria coastline, from the literal indigenous ljaw communities on Akwa lbom, Rivers, Delta, Ondo, and Lagos states.
He added that the ocean and its diverse marine and its aquatic resources define the ljaw identity of livelihood systems and heritage.
“Our communities are on the front lines of climate change, facing rising sea levels, storm surges, and environmental degradation.
“The impacts are far-reaching, from damage to infrastructure and livelihoods to threats to our very way of life. We have seen our mangrove forests, a vital component of our ecosystem, being destroyed, and our fisheries being depleted.
“Our people are struggling to cope with the loss of their livelihoods and the degradation of their environment. The Impact on our economy, climate change and environmental degradation on our economy is significant,” he said.
Okaba urged policymakers and stakeholders at national and international levels to prioritise coastal resilience, policy, and governance that supports the needs of Ijaw communities through the instrumentality of integrated coastal management.
He also called for the adaptation of climate change adaptation through supporting initiatives that would help the coastal communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.
According to him, there’s a need to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, promote ecosystem-based adaptation, and support climate-resilient livelihoods.
Okaba also stressed the need for community engagement as well as leveraging on Indigenous knowledge and technology.
He added that coastal resilience must be built on justice, equity, and the recognition of the rights of the Ijaws as indigenous people.
He appealed for direct access to climate finance for sub-national entities and local communities, a UN convention for the conservation of River Deltas, recognising the specific needs and challenges of deltaic regions.
He also appealed for technological partnerships to support mangrove restoration in coastal areas, early warning systems, and integrated coastal zone management, among others.
The INC global president reiterated the commitment of the INC to building resilience, providing sustainable development and protecting the rights of the people.
“This position is in line with our persistent resolve on self determination and control of our God given water and land resources.
“We are committed to promoting the interests of our people and protecting our environment. We will continue to advocate for policies and practices that support our communities and ensure a sustainable future.
“We will work with policymakers, stakeholders, and our communities to develop and implement effective coastal management plans, support climate change adaptation initiatives, and promote sustainable livelihoods,” Okaba added.
In a related development, The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), on Sunday, launched tree planting campaign across the nine states of the Niger Delta region.
The states involved in the initiative are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
The Director of Environment Protection and Control in the commission, Mr. Onouha Obeka, performed the launch during a multi-stakeholders’ meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Obeka said that the initiative is aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and fostering community development, while also addressing the long-standing environmental degradation and pollution in the region.
He expressed confidence that the campaign would support biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change, and improve public health across the region.
“This tree planting initiative will also tackle key factors contributing to environmental degradation, including the absence of eco-friendly practices such as deforestation and unethical business activities.
“NDDC calls for collective action to help forge a more sustainable future for the people of the Niger Delta,” Obeka said
He affirmed the commission’s commitment to full implementation of the programme, with particular focus on both urban and suburban areas across the Niger Delta states.
In light of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, launched along with Marina Silva, Brazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, with the support of Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, or UN Climate Change), the “10 Years of the Paris Agreement” commemorative logo.
Jubilation greeted the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015 in Paris, France. Photo credit: unfccc.int
Brazil, who is hosting the COP30 this year in Belém, and the United Nations, are also involved in developing this initiative, that aims to recognise and support all the events organised this year globally that are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
A decade of commitment and action
The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and marked a historic turning point in the fight against climate change, uniting some 200 Parties in a joint effort to limit global warming to well below 2°C, with continuing efforts to keep it at 1.5°C. Over the past 10 years, governments and other public authorities, stakeholders and citizens have been committed to the same goal under this agreement of protecting our planet for current and future generations.
A commemorative logo to continue the momentum surrounding the Paris Agreement
With the commemorative logo, the UN Climate Change is encouraging and promoting initiatives that reflect the spirit of the Paris Agreement. Eligible events include conferences, large-scale meetings, workshops, exhibitions, educational projects and any other events that make a practical contribution to increasing ambition, raising awareness of climate issues, sustainable innovation, and the implementation of climate goals.
The “10 years of the Paris Agreement” commemorative logo
According to the UN body, the “10 Years of the Paris Agreement” commemorative logo will guarantee better visibility, supported by France and Brazil, and backed by the United Nations.
Eligibility criteria
The organisation disclosed that event organisers who are interested in using the logo can submit their application online from June 5 on the official website for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In order to use the 10th Anniversary of the Paris Agreement logo, events should meet the following criteria:
• Focus on increasing ambition and achieving tangible results regarding climate action.
• Be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement and support its founding principles: mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation, gender equality, transparency, capacity building, etc.
• Take stock of progress made since the Paris Agreement, and in particular the results of the global stocktake, and aim to drive further climate action.
• Involve a diverse range of stakeholders, which may include various national and local representatives, civil society, the public and private sectors, research and academia.
• Align with the values of the United Nations, notably by aiming for inclusive participation in terms of generations and gender balance.
• Ensure balanced global representation (in the case of international events) and guarantee equitable access, with opportunities for remote participation to avoid exclusion due to travel-related issues.
• Not undermine the Paris Agreement and multilateralism.
Organisers must also commit to providing feedback on their event, including key statements, deliverables, commitments, actions and publications.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) says it will provide the “10 years of the Paris Agreement” commemorative logo and register the event on to the above website for the anniversary.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries, declared: “As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement this year, we must ramp up our efforts and commitment to ensure a sustainable future for future generations. The launch of this commemorative logo, which marks the beginning of the 10 years of the Paris Agreement celebrations, is a reminder of the importance of collective action in the face of climate challenges. Let’s continue to work together to turn our promises into decisive action, and to prepare with ambition for COP30, to be held in Belém in November.”
President-designate of COP30, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, stated: “Thanks to the Global Stocktake, which we conducted in Dubai, we know that the Agreement is working because we have diverted the trend of a temperature increase above 4°C. However, we also know that there is still much to be done to avoid permanently exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era.”
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), declared: “Marking 10 years of the Paris Agreement is a moment both to reflect and to accelerate. Through global cooperation under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – particularly through the Paris Agreement – and through national efforts, humanity has moved from projected global heating of over 4c and even higher towards 5°C – which no society or economy could survive – to around 3°C today.
“It’s a reminder of how far humanity has come, but also of how much work still lies ahead, to limit global heating to 1.5°C and to protect 8 billion people. So, this initiative is a unifying symbol for all those working to accelerate progress, as we approach COP30 in Brazil and beyond, so that all peoples can share in the vast benefits of climate action: stronger economies, fairer societies, more jobs and better health, among many others.”
The Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL) has urged the Lagos State Government to undertake a phased ban of Single Use Plastics (SUPs) instead of an outright ban, ahead of the July 1, 2025, enforcement deadline.
Single-use plastics
President of ASWOL, Mr. Friday Oku, who disclosed this in an interview on Sunday, June 8, 2025, said that there should be at least three years’ notice to dealers and producers of SUPs to transit to other businesses in order not to create unnecessary unemployment.
He noted that the ban if implemented would impact the economy of the dealers and producers.
Oku said the government did not embark on adequate campaign and awareness before going ahead with the proposal to ban SUPs.
Also, some dealers and producers of SUPs described the proposed ban of SUPs by July 1 as insensitive at a time of economic challenge, adding that enough time should be given to them to seek alternative means of livelihood.
Mrs. Bunmi Ayeni, a dealer at the Ikotun Market in Lagos, said she had been selling nylon materials for about seven years and relied on it to support her family.
Ayeni said the timing for the ban was too short for her to begin to think of any other business to do.
Mr. Anthony Ugbe, a producer of nylon materials in Ayobo, said he had invested so much in the business and feared the ban could end it.
“If the government goes on with the ban, that will mean the end of my business.
“There should be a lot of time and awareness to get us in the sector prepared,” Ugbe said.
Another seller of nylon materials and styrofoam at Iyana Ipaja market, Mrs. Precious Ibeh, said the economy had been very challenging, wondering what she would fall back on when the ban is enforced.
Ibeh said she suffered huge losses during the initial ban on styrofoam in 2024, adding that she had to take them to a neighbouring state to sell.
However, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, the General Secretary, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria, said the action of the government to ban SUPs is a well-reasoned action that should go with a lot sensitisation.
Komolafe decried the use styrofoam for food packaging, adding that it pollutes the food and makes it unfit for consumption.
“It constitutes a lot of environmental hazards while disposing it and has capacity to clog the drains.
“It is a well reasoned action but needs a lot of sensitisation and engagement of the people who have the need to use it.
“The ban has implications for their little businesses,” Komolafe said.
He said the government should engage and sensitise the people using the social media and regular media to the dangers of SUPs.
“Quite frankly, there is an abuse of nylon in this country. In some other parts of the world, people have adopted paper for packaging.
“They are even using nylon to pack moi moi, hot eba and akara, etc. This is poisonous,” Komolafe said.
According to him, nylon poses a serious environmental problem because it clogs the drain and is not easily biodegradable.
“Our people need to be sensistised and a reasonable timeline should be given and messages in different languages should be used.
“The approach needs to be looked into. There is the need to adopt a more humane approach to it,” Komolafe said.
The Lagos State Government on May 20, 2025, clarified that its statewide ban on SUPs did not include PET bottles and sachet water.
Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this known in a statement.
The statement was issued by the Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Kunle Adeshina.
Wahab added that part of those exempted from the ban were nylon carrier bags of more than 40 micron thickness.
“The latest clarification was made while reacting to deliberate viral misrepresentations by some people that the ban involves all categories of Single Use Plastics.
“The position of the state government has not changed that only single use plastics consisting of styrofoam food packs and all forms of polystyrene cups (disposal cups) are banned.
“Other items banned in the single use plastics category are plastic straws, plastic cutlery and all single use carrier bags and nylons that have less than 40 micron thickness,” he said.
Wahab reiterated the determination of the state government to go ahead with the enforcement of the ban on July 1.
This is after the expiration of a moratorium of 18 months which it had been given since the announcement of the intention to effect the ban in January 2024.
Spanish organisation, Proyecto Gran Simio, has called on the government to urgently pass a law to protect great apes.
A young orangutan behind bars. Photo credit: Jay Ullal)
In collaboration with Rainforest Rescue, the group is calling for signatories to a petition addressed to the Directorate-General for Animal Rights in the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda.
The Spanish government had pledged to pass a law to protect bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas as part of its Animal Welfare Act, but it has not yet done so, and the groups believe that time is running out for man’s endangered close relatives in the animal kingdom.
In early 2023, the Spanish Congress and Senate passed the Animal Welfare Act, a landmark law recognising animals as sentient beings. The Act explicitly requires the government to present a draft law to protect great apes – bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas – within three months of its enactment.
But those protections for great apes now appear to be two years overdue, according to Proyecto Gran Simioand and Rainforest Rescue.
The Jane Goodall Institute estimates that about 140 great apes live in captivity in Spain, often under poor conditions.
“Great apes suffer from illegal wildlife trafficking, deforestation and the impacts of human activities such as mining, oil exploration and intensive agriculture. Unless we protect them, we will also lose the biodiversity that ensures ecosystem balance.
“A law is vital for the survival of endangered great apes. Enacting it will strengthen Spain’s commitment to international conservation and protection programmes and send a clear message to the world: Great apes belong in the wild because they are indispensable for preserving rainforests. For those who cannot live in freedom, a law is urgently needed,” said John Hayduska of Rainforest Rescue.
The Letter:
To: The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda; Directorate-General for Animal Rights
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In Spain, Animal Protection Law 7/2023 of March 28 stipulates that “three months after the law comes into force, i.e. from December 29, 2023, the government must present a draft law for the protection of great apes” (according to the 4th additional provision). It is now more than a year overdue.
As stated in the explanatory memorandum to the public hearing prior to the drafting of the bill on great apes, “special protection for this group of primates is necessary … to eliminate practices that threaten the life, physical integrity, dignity and survival of great apes.” https://www.dsca.gob.es/sites/default/files/consultapub/CPP-Ley-Grandes-Simios.pdf
The Great Ape Law should set minimum standards for the welfare of great apes that have been exploited in zoos and other facilities for decades. It will be an important tool to ensure that they are never again treated as objects of entertainment or mere economic resources for humans. The law should cover the following points:
An end to captive ape programs, as there is no independent scientific support for them and they only serve to increase populations and replace those that die.
An end to transfers between zoos that disrupt the family units of great apes.
Prohibition of their use in circus performances, advertising, television, film etc.
Prohibition of experiments of any kind.
An end to captive breeding.
Strict flood and fire protocols.
If animals must live in captivity, strict conditions should apply. They must live in an environment that is optimal for their development.
Entry to Spain should only be permitted for great apes if their destination is a rescue center.
Spain must incorporate the commitments it has agreed upon with global organizations such as UNEP, GRAPS and others into its own legal system and continue its commitment to protecting great apes in international forums.
We must stop the unrestricted exploitation of those who share our evolutionary path. This law harms no one but benefits everyone. Every day that goes by without this law being passed is another day these extraordinary beings suffer needlessly and remain unprotected and vulnerable – hastening their demise.
Great apes deserve to live with dignity. A law to protect great apes is not just a regulation but a statement of principle that is urgently needed. Thank you for putting it into effect as soon as possible.
The ocean is one vast body of water with various faces. It accounts for approximately 71% of the Earth and plays significant roles in environmental and climate systems, and more broadly, in life on Earth.
The ocean. Photo credit: Dimitris Vetsikas / Pixabay
Beyond its diverse faces – Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern – the ocean is connected to and interacts with other comparatively smaller surface water bodies, such as seas, gulfs, bays, lagoons, estuaries, and groundwater systems.
Ocean ecosystems supply a substantial amount of oxygen to the atmosphere and offer various services that ensure the survival of all species on Earth. As the world observes World Ocean Day with the theme “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,” it is time for humans to reflect on our exploitative, violent, and destructive relationship with the ocean and embrace a new beginning.
The Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, highlighted the importance of World Ocean Day, which is celebrated annually on June 8 to underscore the immeasurable importance of the world’s ocean and garner support for their protection. He stated that the ocean and other water bodies are continuously subjected to a barrage of assaults at local, national, and international levels.
“The concept that the ocean cycles itself and acts as a greenhouse gas sink has been misconstrued to mean that the ocean can filter and clean itself no matter what is dumped in it. The ocean and other waterbodies have become dumpsites of all sorts, polluting and extreme exploitation. There are a lot of unusual activities going on in our waters that must not be allowed to continue if we want a healthy ocean and planet.”
Bassey further stated that “corporate interests have been substituted for national and people-centred interests, as communities that live along the coasts, bear the brunt of such abnormalities. Now is the time for all to rise to the occasion to protect the ocean. The continued burning of the Ororo Oil well over a period of five years is a sad commentary on ecocide on our waters.”
Also, Stephen Oduware, a Programme Manager with HOMEF and Coordinator of the Fishnet Alliance, a network of fishers across Africa, emphatically noted that the world’s fisheries depend on the ocean.
“The two major sides of the ocean bordering Africa – the Atlantic and Indian, along with their associated gulfs, are experiencing shortfalls in fishing due to vested and powerful interests. Industrial fishing, including the use of bottom trawlers, is partly responsible for unsustainable fishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the region.
“These practices not only harm fisheries but also harm the ocean and create imbalances in the ecosystems the ocean supports. These unchecked activities in the territorial waters of Africa must stop. Fishers of the world unite.”
Climate change, primarily caused by human activities, is impacting the ocean. Dead zones are proliferating, pollution from minerals and fossil fuel extraction and production processes is occurring, unsustainable industrial fishing practices are occurring, intentional waste dumping is occurring, and disturbances of the ocean floor and seabeds are among a long list of destructive activities.
As ocean surface temperatures increase, global warming will also rise. Therefore, protecting the ocean from these forms of degradation would ultimately safeguard the Earth. Let’s protect the ocean and force others to respect it because we are the ocean; we are part of the ocean family.
Health of Mother Earth Foundation is an ecological think tank advocating for socio-ecological justice and food sovereignty in Nigeria and Africa.
The FishNet Alliance secretariat sits with HOMEF at its international headquarters in Nigeria.
On UN Oceans Day, ahead of the upcoming United Nations Oceans Conference the Hands Off Mother Earth! (HOME) Alliance is calling on governments to take decisive action to safeguard ocean ecosystems from the growing threat of marine geoengineering. Civil society, including climate justice groups, Indigenous Peoples Organisations, human rights and grassroots groups are urging governments to take action to halt any ongoing current or planned marine geoengineering experiments.
In a statement signed by 126 organisations (including 20 new signatories this year), the HOME Alliance is calling on governments to recognise that oceans face growing threats not only from overexploitation and the climate crisis, but also from dangerous geoengineering experiments that attempt to manipulate Earth’s systems in response to climate change.
Coraina de la Plaza, Coordinator, Hands Off Mother Earth! (HOME) Alliance, said: “Marine geoengineering is not a solution to the climate crisis – it’s a dangerous distraction. Our oceans are not testing grounds for risky, unproven technologies. These large-scale manipulations of marine ecosystems pose serious threats to climate and biodiversity, and the livelihoods of coastal and Indigenous communities. We need real climate solutions rooted in justice, and respect for nature – not technofixes that gamble with the planet’s most vital systems.”
Between 2019 and 2023, proposed marine carbon dioxide removal field experiments have quadrupled compared to the period from 2014 to 2018. However, there has been sustained and strong public opposition to marine geoengineering, with key grassroots-led victories showing growing resistance to marine geoengineering.
Late last year at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, governments came together and reaffirmed the de facto moratorium on geoengineering, highlighting their commitment to a precautionary approach to geoengineering. The London Convention/London Protocol also calls for precaution on various marine geoengineering technologies including effectively prohibiting Ocean Fertilisation technofix among others.
Despite public opposition and existing restrictive governance in place, marine geoengineering proposals continue to surface globally and mainly driven by the private sector with commercial purposes.
“Governments attending the oceans conference have a responsibility to uphold the Convention on Biological Diversity moratorium on geoengineering, including marine geoengineering, and other existing restrictive frameworks and regulations like London Convention/London Protocol, to ban outdoor marine geoengineering experiments from taking place, and to ensure that any decision taken prioritize human rights and the protection of marine ecosystems,” added Coraina de la Plaza.
Marie-Luise Abshagen, Head of Sustainability at the German NGO Forum on Environment and Development, shared: “At the last UN Oceans Conference in 2022 in Lisbon, we saw a growing commitment of governments and parliamentarians to a deep-sea mining moratorium. Three years later, 33 countries are behind this call. Be it deep sea mining or geoengineering, it is all the same trends – exploiting our oceans resources, ignoring Indigenous opposition, all for the continuation of an industrial model that is destroying our planet. Let’s make the 3rd UN Oceans Conference a marine conference of resistance!”
More than 200 people will gather from June 18 to 19, 2025, for an African International People’s Tribunal challenging International Monetary Fund and World Bank policies.
Ajay Banga, World Bank President
The tribunal will examine four key areas of concern regarding international financial institutions’ operations in Africa.
Organisers plan to address debt-dependent development models that prioritise creditor repayment over people-centred growth, said Fidélité Nshimiyimana, campaigns and communication manager at the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development.
The event will also scrutinise austerity measures that organisers say undermine public services and social protection systems across the continent.
Participants will examine what they describe as non-democratic policy designs that silence African voices while prioritising market-first solutions.
The tribunal will address global financial systems that organisers characterise as rooted in colonial legacies, systemic extraction and inequality.
Lawyers, including Lyla Latif, Diana Gichengo of Tisa Kenya, and Farheen Kassim, will participate in the proceedings.
Witnesses will include civil society directors, members of parliament, women’s groups and youth representatives.
The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, MEJN ORG, SEATINI Uganda, and ESCR-Net are among the leading organisations supporting the event.
The Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development initiated the tribunal concept.
There’s now more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere than ever before in human history, scientists have revealed.
Atmospheric CO2 is one of major causes of climate change and has been driven in large part by the burning of fossil fuels worldwide
For the first time on record, monthly average CO2 levels exceeded 430 parts per million (ppm), according to experts at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, USA.
The monthly average for May 2025 reached 430.2ppm – the highest level since accurate measurements began 67 years ago.
The more CO2 in the atmosphere, the higher the rate of global warming, which could one day could make Earth’s surface too hot for humans.
At much higher concentrations, CO2 can also cause a variety of health issues.
Worryingly, this includes cognitive impairment, drowsiness, nausea and even death in the most extreme cases.
“Another year, another record,” said Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Programme.
He added: “It’s sad.”
Like other greenhouse gases, CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping heat and warming the lower atmosphere.
This changes weather patterns and fuels extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, heavy rain and flooding.
Rising CO2 levels also contribute to ocean acidification, which makes it more difficult for marine organisms like crustaceans and coral to grow hard skeletons or shells.
The experts’ new measurements come from Mauna Loa Observatory, a research station situated high on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii.
At 11,141 feet above sea level, Mauna Loa Observatory measures different gases in the air by shining different kinds of light and radiation through air samples.
According to the experts, the observatory’s monthly average for May 2025 of 430.2 ppm is an increase of 3.5 ppm over May 2024’s measurement of 426.7 ppm.
Meanwhile, NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado has separately reported an average of 430.5 ppm – an increase of 3.6 ppm over last year.
In a post on X, Jeff Berardelli, meteorologist and climate specialist for WFLA Tampa Bay, called the new record ‘concerning’.
How is atmospheric CO2 measured?
CO2 is routinely measured in parts-per-million (ppm), which is simply the ratio of one gas or another molecule to another.
For example, 430 ppm of CO2 means that there are 430 molecules of CO2 and 999,570 molecules of other gases or water vapour.
At much higher concentrations – such as 1,000 ppm – CO2 can have a adverse health effect on human functioning, including cognitive impairment, drowsiness and nausea.
A concentration of 40,000 ppm is considered ‘immediately dangerous to life or health’, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
CO2 is by far the most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas and it can persist in the atmosphere and oceans for thousands of years.
According to scientists, the amount of carbon present now in the Earth’s atmosphere is equal to that which would have been seen some 4.1 to 4.5 million years ago, during a time which scientists refer to as the ‘Pliocene Climatic Optimum’.
At this time, the sea level was a whopping 78 feet (24 meters) higher than in the present day, while the average global temperature stood at 7°F (3.9°C) higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution.
In fact, the temperature was so warm during this period of time that large forests occupied areas of the Arctic which today are barren, chilly tundra.
Although humanity is constantly pumping out CO2 all-year-round, atmospheric CO2 is at its highest in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring – specifically May.
Between autumn and spring, much of the hemisphere’s plant matter decomposes, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere as it does so.
May tends to represent the highest extend of atmospheric CO2 before plants come to life and draw in CO2 to fuel their growth.
This begins the process of lowering the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere until the autumn when the plants start to die – and the cycle continues.
Researchers say Mauna Loa Observatory’s new measurements represent the average state of CO2 in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere.
However, CO2 concentrations have not yet passed the 430 ppm mark in the Southern Hemisphere, which has a reversed cycle.
It was Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling, father of Ralph Keeling, who was the first to recognise that CO2 levels in the Northern Hemisphere peaked in May.
In 1958, he began monitoring CO2 concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory and documented a long-term increase, known as the Keeling Curve.
NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, meanwhile, begun daily CO2 measurements in 1974 and has maintained a complementary, independent measurement record ever since.
The Keeling Curve Explained
Regular atmospheric CO₂ recordings were begun on Mauna Loa back in 1958 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist Charles David Keeling.
It was these measurements that confirmed the prediction of the Swedish physical chemist Svante Arrhenius that humanity was contributing to increasing global temperatures by means of the greenhouse effect.
Specifically, Dr Keeling’s data showed that, overall, atmospheric CO₂ levels were rising each year — a dynamic shown in the so-called keeling curve (pictured bottom left).
The Keeling Curve was also the first data set to reveal the existence of seasonal fluctuations in carbon dioxide levels.
The highest monthly average carbon dioxide value in the northern hemisphere occurs in the May of each year, before plants act to remove large amounts of CO₂ from the atmosphere in the growing season.
The peak in May is caused by plants and soils giving off carbon dioxide between the northern hemisphere’s autumn and early spring.
The Global Environment Facility’s governing body has agreed to provide $261 million across its family of funds for efforts to propel international environmental goals, including projects targeting mercury and hydrofluorocarbons, building more resilient and healthier seascapes and landscapes, and expanding biodiversity conservation efforts in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson
Council members representing 186 participant countries approved the allocation of $195 million from the GEF Trust Fund, $40 million from the Least Developed Countries Fund, and $26 million from the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. The support is set to mobilise more than $3 billion in co-financing from other sources.
The latest allocation will advance the goals of the six conventions the GEF is mandated to support – the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, Convention on Biological Diversity, Minamata Convention on Mercury, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
GEF CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, stressed during the meeting that growing pressures on ecosystems and economies worldwide required concerted and coordinated action in the final push to 2030 environmental goals and targets.
“The very real strains on nature and natural systems – showing up as fires, droughts, floods, contamination, species loss, and illness – have raised the stakes for our work,” Rodríguez said. “The GEF’s ninth replenishment is going to be vital to the achievement of international commitments on biodiversity, climate, and pollution, and the funding allocated this week is keeping us moving in an innovative, impactful direction.”
Three-quarters of the record $5.3 billion GEF-8 replenishment has now been programmed, with one year left in the four-year cycle. The latest Trust Fund work program spans 35 countries and will benefit 16 million people – more than half of them women. It includes support for a new GEF Small Grants Programme Global Microfinance Initiative that will offer tailored funding solutions for locally-led work to address strains on nature and community resilience.
Meeting as the LDCF/SCCF Council, representatives approved $40 million in funding from the Least Developed Countries Fund for climate adaptation projects in the Solomon Islands and Uganda, and for a regional program in the Sahel focused on Mali and Chad. Council members also provided additional finance for ecosystem and community resilience in Madagascar, including support for the “Lemur Bond.” The latest approvals bring LDCF investments to over $618 million in the current four-year funding cycle.
The GBFF Council agreed to provide $26 million for projects supporting biodiversity and community well-being in Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Sangha Trinational – a forest connecting Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Congo-Brazzaville. All three projects will mobilise substantial support to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. To date, the GBFF has provided $202 million from its $211 in available funds, financing 40 projects including initiatives underway in Brazil, Gabon, and Mexico.
The Council meetings followed last month’s start of the GEF-9 replenishment process, when donor countries and partners gathered in Paris to discuss priorities and ambitions for the family of funds’ next four-year funding cycle, including a strong focus on efficiency, equity, versatility, and accessibility. The next formal replenishment meeting is scheduled to be held in Botswana from October 8-10, 2025. A final decision about the size and ambition of the GEF-9 funding envelope is expected to be taken in 2026.
Uzbekistan will host the 8th GEF Assembly meeting next year, scheduled for the week commencing May 31. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Environment, expressed his country’s “full commitment and readiness” to host the once-every-four-year event that brings together representatives from all GEF member countries as well as stakeholders from around the world.
“Hosting the GEF Assembly in Samarkand reflects Uzbekistan’s strong commitment to global sustainability. We see this as a catalyst for innovative partnerships especially in Central Asia – where transboundary challenges require shared solutions,” Abdukhakimov told the Council. “With GEF-9 support, we will deepen regional cooperation to combat biodiversity loss, adapt to climate impacts and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.”
