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UN report seeks investment in ocean technologies to tackle climate change – EnviroNews
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A new United Nations report has called for increased investment in ocean observation, data infrastructure and scientific modelling to strengthen understanding of the ocean’s carbon system and protect its role in regulating global climate.
The 2026 Climate Technology Progress Report, released by the UN, warns that climate change is already affecting the ocean’s capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide, potentially weakening one of the planet’s most important natural climate regulators.
The report highlights Ocean Carbon Intelligence, a framework that integrates ocean science, monitoring technologies, data infrastructure and analytical tools to improve understanding of ocean carbon dynamics and support evidence-based climate action.
According to the report, the ocean absorbs approximately 30 per cent of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions and about 90 per cent of excess heat generated by climate change.
However, rising ocean temperatures, acidification, deoxygenation, pollution and ecosystem degradation are disrupting the physical, chemical and biological processes that enable the ocean to perform these critical functions.
It warns that continued pressure on ocean ecosystems could undermine their ability to store carbon, leaving more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and making global climate targets harder and more expensive to achieve.
“A weaker ocean carbon sink leaves more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and makes climate goals harder and more costly to achieve. The ocean has helped buy humanity time in the fight against climate change. We cannot afford to take that role for granted,” said Martin Krause, Director of the Climate Change Division at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report noted that although governments, researchers and investors are showing growing interest in ocean-based climate solutions, significant gaps in ocean observations, data systems and scientific understanding continue to limit effective decision-making.
It identified sustained investment in monitoring systems, scientific research, data infrastructure and modelling as essential to closing these gaps, assessing climate risks and guiding the responsible development of ocean-based technologies.
The report was produced by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre in collaboration with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Technology Executive Committee (TEC).
Commenting on the findings, Pacific Climate Envoy for the Ocean to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), Inia Seruiratu, said the ocean must occupy a central position in global climate action.
“As Pacific COP31 Envoy for the Ocean, I believe we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to place the ocean where it belongs: at the heart of global climate action,” Seruiratu said.
He stressed the need for stronger partnerships, sustained investment and leadership, adding that scientific innovation and Indigenous knowledge could contribute to building a more resilient future.
The report also examined the opportunities and limitations of ocean-based climate technologies, including the restoration of blue carbon ecosystems and emerging marine carbon dioxide removal approaches.
It emphasised that such technologies should complement, rather than replace, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
It further called for their development and deployment to be guided by sound scientific evidence, transparency, environmental safeguards and effective governance.
Krause said the growing pressures on ocean ecosystems and the need for effective climate action made it important to ensure that ocean-based solutions were developed responsibly.
“Ocean innovation has significant potential, but its success will depend on strong governance, public trust and sustained investment in knowledge, capacity and international cooperation,” he said.
The report underscored the importance of strengthening international cooperation and improving access to reliable ocean data to ensure that climate policies and investments reflect the changing condition of the ocean and its contribution to global climate stability.