Goal

Ensure the health, protection, and preservation of oceans, seas, and marine ecosystems [57]

Interlinkages

Healthy Oceans [58]

Interlinkages

Targets

Establish a representative network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 20-30% of the ocean’s area.

By 2025, a significant reduction of the processes, particularly due to climate change, causing marine acidification; and by 2030, an absolute stop of its harmful impacts, with the guideline that the pH of surface waters in any larger ocean region (nor in the global mean) should not drop more than 0.2 units below the pre-industrial average value.

Enact a moratorium on all fish stocks that are overfished, no longer resilient or in decline.

By 2030, a moratorium on ore mining in the deep sea with only select few trials supervised by the International Seabed Authority allowed and an appropriate framework implemented until then.

Establish and implement an agreement concerning the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

By 2020, a reduction of marine waste pollution by 50%; a reduction of nutrient contamination by 50% compared to levels from 1985; and a ban on heavy fuel oil in shipping.

By 2020, a ban on the extraction of energy resources from the deep sea and the arctic; by 2025, a complete stop of deep sea and arctic oil exploration; and an immediate ban on methane extraction and on CO2 sequestration in the deep sea.

Goal

Healthy seas and oceans (blue economy)[59]

Interlinkages

A sustainable development goal for the ocean and coasts [60]

Interlinkages

Targets

By 2020, consistent with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, Governments establish at least 10 per cent coastal and marine areas. By 2030, oceanic dead zones are recovered by reducing nitrogen runoff from land by 50 per cent or more. By 2020, marine protected areas are established in at least 25 per cent of each exclusive economic zone and the high seas in representative networks capable of restoring minimum viable populations of all at-risk stocks, protecting marine biological diversity, and maximizing benefits to commercial and subsistence fishers in surrounding waters.

Secure blue wealth by ensuring a healthy and productive marine environment with all basic provisioning, support, regulation, and cultural services.

Provide equitable access to ocean resources, and ensure that neither pollution nor the harvesting and extraction of animate and inanimate resources impair the basic functions of the ecosystem.

Reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, including by banning or taxing single-use plastics, supporting the use of recycled plastics in new products and holding manufacturers responsible for plastics through their entire life cycle.

Facilitate the development of sustainable and resilient coastal communities.

Establish an international monitoring network for ocean acidification to enable the identification of vulnerable regions and industries and to provide an early warning system for industries already experiencing harm.

Harmonize national and regional maritime policies, and encourage cooperation in coastal and global marine spatial planning.

Designate the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean as a zone for international scientific cooperation, where extractive and polluting activities are suspended until we have a better understanding of the area and the potential effects of such activities.

Schedule, as a matter of urgency, an intergovernmental conference to address the multiplying threats to ocean areas beyond the jurisdiction of individual nations.