Civil society groups call for halt to ocean commodification and marine geoengineering at UN climate talks

At the UN climate negotiations SB64, civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and climate justice groups raised concerns about blue economy initiatives and marine geoengineering. They argue these approaches, framed as climate solutions, actually enable extractivism and divert attention from real climate action. Groups specifically criticized the expansion of carbon markets into ocean-based projects, warning that marine carbon dioxide removals driven by voluntary carbon markets risk irreversible harm while undermining proven, rights-based solutions. The groups highlighted that blue economy projects like giant seawalls, floating solar systems, and blue carbon projects benefit powerful corporations while deepening inequalities for coastal communities. They also noted that marine geoengineering does not address the root causes of climate change and could reverse the ocean's role as Earth's largest carbon sink. The African continent strongly opposes these technologies, viewing them as a new cycle of colonialism disguised as carbon markets.