OceanCare Supports the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Ocean and climate are inseparable. That is why OceanCare supports the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative to phase out fossil fuels and protect the ocean from one of its most severe threats.21
At OceanCare, our mission is rooted in protecting the ocean – the blue heart of our planet. This is why OceanCare is part of a global initiative towards a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, to phase out fossil fuels in line with the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement and pave the way for a just, equitable transition to clean energy.
This endorsement reflects not only OceanCare’s climate commitment, but also our longstanding advocacy to protect the ocean from one of its most pressing threats: offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation. Together with more than 200 organisations worldwide, we urged governments ahead of the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 in an open letter, to commit to a ban on fossil fuel exploration in the ocean. Our position is clear: there can be no healthy ocean without an end to the fossil fuel era.
Why this treaty matters for the ocean
The ocean has long shielded humanity from the worst impacts of climate change, absorbing over 90% of excess heat and roughly a third of the carbon dioxide emissions we produce. But this effect comes at a cost. Rising temperatures, deoxygenation, acidification, and shifting marine ecosystems are all signs that the ocean’s limits are being tested – and fossil fuels are at the centre of this crisis.
Offshore oil and gas operations threaten marine life directly through seismic blasting, spills, habitat destruction, and chemical pollution. They also fuel the climate emergency that is unravelling the stability of ocean systems globally.
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty recognises what the science is clear upon: there is no room for new fossil fuel development – on land or at sea – if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
A growing movement for change
By endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, OceanCare joins a growing global alliance of over one million individuals, close to 4,000 organisations as well as hundreds of elected officials, cities and subnational governments, scientists and Indigenous communities calling for:
- An immediate halt to new fossil fuel exploration and expansion.
- A fair and fast phase-out of existing fossil fuel production, in line with climate science and equity.
This aligns directly with our call on world leaders to commit to banning new offshore fossil fuel exploration and to protect the ocean from irreversible harm.
What’s next?
The science is clear, the frameworks exist, and the momentum is growing.
Governments around the world, need to develop and engage in alliances, taking national and regional action, while continuing thriving forward towards international action. But there is no room for any further delays.
The fossil fuel era must end. For the climate. For the future of the ocean. For all life on Earth.
Read more and join the movement.
Read more about OceanCare’s initiative towards a Regional Mitigation Action Plan for the Mediterranean Region.
