The first time I felt the water wrap around me, I knew I had found something special.
It was a crisp morning when I approached the Ocean, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, casting a golden hue over everything it touched. I had always loved water—its ebb and flow, the way it seemed to have a life of its own—but that day was different.
As I slid into the Ocean, the cool water enveloped my body, instantly washing away the heaviness that clung to me like a second skin. The weight of my disability, the constant ache in my joints, and the ever-present strain of daily life seemed to dissolve, leaving only the sensation of being cradled by the gentle waves.
Despite my inability to swim, I felt a profound sense of autonomy in the water.
I could maneuver myself, floating with the gentle currents that brushed against me, guiding me wherever they wished. I had often felt confined to my wheelchair, limited in movement and opportunities, but here, I was liberated. I was in control of my own body in a way I hadn’t experienced on land. Each push and pull of the water felt like a dance, a rhythm that allowed me to glide, sway, and spin in a graceful ballet, even if I wasn’t swimming in the traditional sense.
Floating on my back, I gazed up at the sky, the clouds shifting and morphing into fantastical shapes. It felt as if the Ocean was whispering to me, reminding me of a freedom I often forgot existed. Each ripple that passed over me was like a hand brushing away my worries, the pressure in my body gradually releasing with every gentle movement of the water.
It reminded me of the hydrotherapy sessions I’d attended, where the water was meant to heal, yet those moments had always been tinged with the stinging scent of chlorine and the sounds of shouting voices. Here, those distractions were removed. The Ocean was pure and unadulterated, a sanctuary where I could truly appreciate water in the way it had been intended—soft, soothing, and enveloping. There was no urgency, no pressure to perform or meet expectations; just the serene rhythm of nature and my own breathing.
I took a deep breath and sank beneath the surface, feeling the coolness surround me like a protective cloak.
In the quiet depths, I found a serenity I craved. It was just me and the water, the world above muted and distant. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft thrumming of my heartbeat, the rhythm syncing with the gentle lapping of waves against my skin. In those moments, I was no longer defined by my disability; I was simply a part of the Ocean, a drop in an endless sea.
With each visit, the Ocean became my sanctuary.
I would return time and again, ready to release the pressures of the outside world. The water was more than a refuge; it was a partner in my journey, granting me a sense of autonomy that I struggled to find on land. I could move freely, guided by the water’s embrace, discovering the possibilities that lay within me. It taught me that sometimes, to find solace, I simply needed to surrender to the flow.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Phoebe!
Coconut for the Sea: What an Ancient Tradition Teaches Us About Ocean Conservation
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“As we offer the sea our prayers and coconuts, we remember our bond with her, for she gives and we take, a balance we strive to keep.”
– Poonam Keni from Koli Community, Ratnagiri, India
My journey with Ocean conservation has been a winding road, and perhaps its most meaningful turn happened not with science or activism, but through tradition. Specifically, by witnessing the age-old festival of Narali Purnima with the Koli fishing community in Mumbai.
This festival, dedicated to Varuna, the god of the Ocean, is a humble, and powerful expression of respect for the sea, its drama, and its bounty.
Growing up, my approach to Ocean conservation was straightforward: remove waste, reduce damage, respect marine life.
But stepping into the celebrations of Narali Purnima added layers of understanding I hadn’t anticipated. Narali Purnima, observed each year as the monsoon season draws to a close, signals the beginning of the Koli’s fishing season.
The festival’s name is derived from “naral,” or coconut, which the community offers to the Ocean in gratitude and as a request for safety. To the people, this is more than a custom, it is a reminder of their dependence on the sea and an annual reaffirmation of their respect for it.
The scene is one of breathtaking beauty. Women wear vibrant saris and adorn boats with garlands of marigolds and coconuts. There is an aarti (prayer) ceremony for Lord Varuna, asking for his blessings over the waters. The coconut here represents both the past season and the promise of a new one, while it gently floats off the sea’s surface.
The atmosphere hums with reverence as the community gathers, each person carrying an awareness that they are not just taking from the sea, but exchanging, returning, and showing their respect for the Ocean’s endless generosity.
But it’s not just about the visual splendour, Narali Purnima is timed to respect the sea’s cycles.
For centuries, the Koli people have refrained from fishing during the monsoons, allowing the fish populations to replenish undisturbed. It’s an act of sustainability practiced long before modern conservation came into existence.
As I observed this, it struck me: the festival is more than ritual. It’s a reflection of the community’s ancient understanding of balance, a balance that the rest of the world is only beginning to fully recognise.
At its core, Narali Purnima is about living harmoniously with the Ocean. Watching this tradition, I felt that conservation is not just about imposing limits and strategies but also about adopting an attitude of mutual respect. The Kolis don’t see themselves as separate from the Ocean; rather, they see their lives intertwined into its cycles.
It was in this moment that I truly understood conservation is a matter of listening, of respecting the wisdom that traditions carry and remembering that communities like the Koli have honoured these principles for generations.
As I continue my work in Ocean conservation, I now carry the spirit of Narali Purnima with me.
It’s a lesson in humility and respect. It’s a reminder that protecting the Ocean is a shared responsibility, and one that must honour both the science and the cultural wisdom surrounding us. The Ocean, after all, sustains not only marine life but also the human lives bound to it through tradition, sustenance, and spirit. And for that, the least we can do is offer a humble coconut in gratitude.
As I reflect on the lessons of Narali Purnima, I am reminded that conservation is more than an act; it’s a lifelong bond of respect and gratitude. The Koli community’s traditions teach us that the Ocean’s well-being is intertwined with our own, urging us to protect its abundance for future generations.
“The sea is our mother—she gives us life, and we must care for her as she cares for us.” – Koli Proverb
In every season and every offering, the Kolis remind us that true conservation is about honouring this relationship, ensuring that the Ocean can sustain and nurture us all.
Thank you for raising your voice for the Ocean, Ajay!
Ajay Sawant is an award-winning Ocean-climate communicator and EE 30 Under 30 honoree. He works as the President at ThinkOcean Society and is the High Seas Youth Ambassador for Asia (India). He is also the founder of Generation Artivism.
COP29 finished on the 24th November 2024, after two weeks of tough, technical negotiations.
It was full of colouring books, expensive sandwiches and drama! Let’s break down the COP29 outcomes: the wins and disappointments – and have a look across to COP16 (the biodiversity one) too.
COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan and was painted as the ‘finance COP’ with the hopes of a climate finance deal being agreed.
Hold up – what is climate finance? Broadly speaking, climate finance refers to any money “that seeks to support mitigation or adaption actions that will address climate change” – UNFCCC (remember what it stands for? Spoiler: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
Richer countries – often referred to as the Global North (that also includes Australia, Israel and New Zealand) – have emitted the vast majority of the CO2 that is responsible for climate change. As of 2019, the Global North have emitted 2.5 times their fair share of the emissions allowed for 1.5 degrees of warming.
Countries in the Global North industrialised much earlier than the Global South, making a lot of money at the cost of carbon dioxide emissions. It has been called for, and agreed, that the richer countries should provide money to the developing countries, to allow them to develop without emitting so much CO2.
Furthermore, there’s a loss and damage fund to help countries most affected by climate change. Many of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change (sea level rise, droughts, heatwaves, floods, intense storms etc.) are poorer countries.
What were the themes of COP29?
So, what actually happened this year? Let’s explore a few of the themes that came from the COP29 summit this year.
Presents and petrol stations.
Countries have their own stands – as an opportunity for cultural sharing and integration. Many gave out gifts: Georgia handed out some wine tasters, the UK provided coffee.
Go to the Russian stand and you could pick up an ecological colouring book, full of tips for environmental sustainability. Some were slightly cynical, as it was produced by a major fossil fuel company.
Photos by Dharna Noor/ The Guardian
Fossil fuels have been present throughout COP29. Azerbaijan, the host country, is a country with 90% of its exports comprised of fossil fuels. The capital, Baku (save that for the pub quiz) houses the very first industrial oil well and was the world’s first oil town (dating back to the 1840s).
For the second year running, COP was attended by more fossil fuel lobbyists than the ten most climate change vulnerable countries‘ delegations combined. The host nation Azerbaijan, next year’s host Brazil and one of the countries competing for COP31 presidency, Turkey, were the only countries with more attending.
Although the 1,773 attendees from fossil fuel companies made up only 1.5% – there were only three countries with more.
Should discussions around climate change happen in the house of the industry most responsible for the damage?
Or does it represent an opportunity to engage and include those most capable of changing our world?
Al Gore said, “It’s unfortunate that the fossil fuel industry and the petrostates have seized control of the COP process to an unhealthy degree.”
Or, as Oil Change International member David Tong said: “It’s like tobacco lobbyists at a conference on lung cancer.”
The president of Azerbaijan made headlines this year describing oil and gas as “a gift from God”. This was denounced by a multitude of faith groups. And the Brazilian environment minister Marina Silva said: “We should take care in moderation of the gifts we are given – if we eat too much sugar, we get diabetes.”
A report published during COP highlighted that eight fossil fuel companies had paid at least $17.6 million to Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) alone for pushing their posts – 700 million impressions, all within the last year.
Activism has always been a big part of COP.
It presents an opportunity to make voices heard by the decisionmakers and gives a platform to send big messages.
Attendees of the COP29 summit were welcomed by a realistic, full-sized model of a dead sperm whale on the waterside in Baku. Created by Belgian art collective Captain Boomer, the piece hopes to highlight “the disruption of our ecological system”.
In the run-up to COP29, the cop29.com website was acquired by Global Witness, which called for fossil fuel CEOs to pay for the damage they have done to the climate.
There was a protest outside BP headquarters in London, and a number of demonstrations in Baku, including a large snake, with the message “weed out the snakes” – aimed at the fossil fuel attendees.
COP29: Agreements and outcomes.
After two weeks, and running over by 34 hours, COP29 closed with a number of agreements. What did all the sleepless nights in smelly conference halls produce? (at one point the plumbing failed, filling the corridors with the smell of you-know-what).
There were finally some numbers for climate finance – $1.3 trillion per year, needed by 2035. This number is based in the recommendations of the Independent Expert Group on Climate Finance (IHLEG). “At least” $300 billion of this is to come from developed countries. The rest could come from a range of sources including private finance and taxes on cryptocurrency, airplane tickets and the super-rich – known as solidarity levies.
There was no agreement reached on how to take the Global Stocktake from COP28 forward, so it was pushed back to COP30 next year.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, describing ‘carbon markets’, was finalised, marking the last element of the Paris Agreement to be completed, although it was not agreed on. This just means that the text has been written, but countries have not yet signed on the dotted line.
The reaction to COP29 has been, optimistically, mixed.
The focus, following on from the expectations coming into COP29 (finance COP), has been on climate finance. The amount pledged by the Global North has come under fire: “A paltry sum” and “a joke” by delegates from India and Nigeria respectively.
However, some took a more positive view. Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege said, “it isn’t nearly enough, but it is a start”. An observer was quoted by the Carbon Brief as saying, “momentum was neither lost nor gained, just maintained” so overall, it achieves “a passing grade”.
UNFCCC (remember what that stands for?) Executive Secretary Simon Steill said:
“This new finance goal is an insurance policy for humanity, amid worsening climate impacts hitting every country. But like any insurance policy – it only works – if premiums are paid in full, and on time. Promises must be kept, to protect billions of lives.”
$300 billion per year, it has been widely agreed, is not enough. But the creation of a deal is a good step and could be enough to spur on the further investment required from private finance and new sources, such as carbon markets and new taxes.
Outside the negotiating rooms.
Beyond the walls of formal negotiations, there were some bigdevelopments.
Indonesia, the 8th biggest emitter of CO2, unexpectedly pledged a complete phase out.
Mexico was the last G20 country to not commit to net zero, but did during COP29.
UK and the EU joined 30 nations in an agreement to slash emissions further, specifically targeting methane emissions.
China’s influence grew in the absence of strong US leadership. It announced the opening of the largest wind farm in the world.
Some NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) announced: UK pledged a reduction of 81% against 1990 levels by 2035. Brazil announced a 59-67% reduction against 2005 levels.
At COP29, over 70 events were hosted in the dedicated Ocean Pavilion over the two weeks.
What happened at COP16 (the biodiversity summit)?
Just 10 days before the first delegates landed in Baku, COP16 wrapped up in Cali, Columbia. This followed very similar themes. It was focused on money. Specifically, where to find the money required to tackle biodiversity loss and restoration.
The Cali Fund was established and though limited in being entirely voluntary with debated scope, can be a positive step.
Another main objective for COP16 was the updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and unfortunately only 44 countries out of 196 had done so by the end of the conference.
119 countries submitted national biodiversity targets, building on the work of the Global Biodiversity Framework agreed on at COP15.
COP16 formally recognised the importance of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to conservation efforts, creating a body to amplify their voices in the CBD.
At COP16, the Ocean was prominent in a way not previously seen.
The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) pushed for progress. The Maldives announced14% protection of their coral reefs with more protection pencilled in. The Azores announced the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic, protecting 30% of its waters.
Parties approved a new process to identify ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) (bet you thought we were done with new acronyms).
This doesn’t guarantee protection but can guide the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in areas that will be most effective, including the high seas.
Generally, the progress made for the Ocean was received very positively.
COP29 and COP16: the transition from negotiation to actions.
Awareness, knowledge and respect for the natural world is growing. Frustration at pace of progress is evident throughout the process, from those in the room to those hearing the news. We need to appreciate how far we have come, while also maintaining the push onwards.
What was top of the COPs?
Tops
Nots
Agreement to triple climate finance to $300 billion
Amount falls far short of that hoped by developing countries
Carbon markets approved after a decade of trying
Fears of carbon markets being misused in bad offsetting and fraud
Cali Fund established
No mandatory contributions – entirely voluntary, no guarantees
Loss and Damage Fund should be operational in 2025, and has $730 million pledged
No further progress on last year’s Global Stocktake – phasing out fossil fuels
Mexico and Indonesia surprise with net zero and emission cutting announcements
Some countries and parties obstructing progress
China announces more voluntary contributions to climate finance
Brazil has made it clear it intends to make COP30 a “Nature COP”. If it can maintain momentum, COP29 has given foundation for the transition into tangible action.
These big global treaties can feel very far away, and it can seem that there is nothing you or I could do. But we are the key parts of this puzzle. Appreciate every small action you take.
Turn down your heating by one degree this winter – barely enough to notice but saving a lot of emissions.
Be conscious of what you eat – choosing local, seasonal food can be your difference.
Get talking. You are already doing something important – staying informed. Having conversations with other people, making people more aware, is a crucial part of the process. Engage with us! We love to hear the actions you are taking, and we will answer every question sent our way.
Everything you need to know about COP: COP29, COP16s and the things between
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Heard a lot about the COP conferences but not sure what’s going on? Acronyms got you all in a twist?
Welcome to a white-knuckle ride into climate-summit world, where we explain everything you need to know about COP.
What is COP?
COP is our first acronym (can be written as Cop or all in caps). It stands for Conference Of the Parties, the name given to the group of countries (Parties) all coming together to make big decisions.
It consists of negotiations between representatives, presided over by the host country. They’re also used as a platform for scientific developments and activism: talks are held, and papers are released aiming to maximise impact.
Why are there multiple COPs?
COP is most used to refer to the COP of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – the big annual summit on climate change. The 2024 edition was the 29th summit, so it is known as COP29 – easy!
But COP can be used to describe the meetings held for other conventions too.
2024 also had the COP for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) in October and the COP for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in December. Both of these are biennial (one every two years) and meeting for the 16th time, so both are known as COP16 – useful (not).
The three COPs were all created at the UN Earth summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, so are known as the ‘Rio Conventions’ or more informally the Rio Trio. They aim to tackle three major threats to humanity – climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification.
The Paris Agreement was negotiated at COP21 in 2015. You’ll never guess where. It’s a legally binding (means enforceable by law) agreement with the primary goal of keeping global average temperature well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The basic plan? Every country gradually ramps up their climate actions, detailed in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are refreshed every five years, and the next round are coming in 2025 – watch this space.
The Agreement also provides a framework of support between countries. Financial, technological and capacity building support is guide lined to enable and encourage cooperation.
Countries also established an enhanced transparency framework (ETF) for gathering relevant data, which will then feed into the Global Stocktake, the progress report for our climate. The Global Stocktake will be published every five years, with the first released last year at COP28.
What does COP mean for the Ocean?
This depends which COP you are talking about.
Climate change is a global threat, against which the Ocean has acted as our shield for years. The Ocean absorbs excess heat and carbon dioxide, maintaining our biosphere’s balance. Ocean acidification, marine heat waves and intensifying weather patterns are just some symptoms of a stressed system.
The Ocean is our biggest ally against climate change and the actions at COPs can safeguard our Ocean. While they are not specific to the Ocean, the decisions made at COP can decide the health of our Ocean ecosystems.
The CBD COP (the biodiversity one) is more directly linked to the Ocean: at COP15 the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework officially set the target to protect 30% of countries land and seas by 2030, known as the 30×30 agreement.
Read more about the agreements made at COP29 and learn more about the outcomes of COP16 here.
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