Our Ocean Conference Must Confront Fossil Fuels

The Center for International Environmental Law asserts that ocean protection is impossible without confronting the expansion of offshore oil and gas, which it identifies as the primary driver of the climate crisis. The organization calls on governments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Kenya to halt new offshore licensing, end public subsidies for expansion, and reject speculative marine geoengineering technologies that risk irreversible ecosystem damage. It further argues that states have binding legal duties under international law to prevent climate harm and protect the marine environment, which necessitates a coordinated phaseout of fossil fuel demand and supply.

• The fossil fuel industry is increasingly targeting the ocean for expansion, with the majority of new oil and gas projects discovered, sanctioned, and started in 2024 being located offshore.
• Offshore oil and gas expansion continues in Africa, specifically impacting the Niger Delta, Cabo Delgado, and coastal areas of South Africa, where communities have resisted projects threatening their livelihoods and rights.
• International legal bodies, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the International Court of Justice, have established that states have binding duties to protect the marine environment and prevent climate harm, requiring a curb on fossil fuel production.
• Marine geoengineering proposals—such as ocean alkalinity enhancement, ocean fertilization, biomass sinking, marine cloud brightening, and ice thickening—could utilize up to 20% of the ocean's surface and risk unpredictable, irreversible impacts on ecosystems and fisheries.

APA

Campos, B., Eddy, N., & Colón-Amil, A. (2026). Our Ocean Conference Must Confront Fossil Fuels. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/our-ocean-conference-must-confront-fossil-fuels/

Chicago

Campos, Bruna, Nathalie Eddy, and Alexandra Colón-Amil. Our Ocean Conference Must Confront Fossil Fuels. Center for International Environmental Law, 2026. https://www.ciel.org/our-ocean-conference-must-confront-fossil-fuels/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Campos |first1=Bruna |last2=Eddy |first2=Nathalie |last3=Colón-Amil |first3=Alexandra |title=Our Ocean Conference Must Confront Fossil Fuels |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=12 June 2026 |url=https://www.ciel.org/our-ocean-conference-must-confront-fossil-fuels/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{campos2026our, author = {Campos, Bruna and Eddy, Nathalie and Colón-Amil, Alexandra}, title = {{Our Ocean Conference Must Confront Fossil Fuels}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/our-ocean-conference-must-confront-fossil-fuels/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }