BLUE PLANET ALLIANCE
AT UNITED NATIONS OCEAN CONFERENCE
OUR MISSION
The mission of Blue Planet Alliance is to get islands and countries around the world to legislatively mandate a commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2045. We work with governments, organizations, businesses, and individuals to help grow a global movement aimed at reducing the negative impact on the planet, thus aligning human behavior more in harmony with nature.
LET’S CONNECT AT UNOC
-
FRANCOIS ROGERS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
-
KNEYONE MURRAY
CARIBBEAN DIRECTOR
where we’ll be at unoc
Mobilizing Youth to Advance Ocean Literacy and Protection
Date: Tuesday, June 3
Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm
Location: Ocean Literacy Hub, Green Zone
In collaboration with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and the international organization Peace Boat US, we invite you to join us for this special event to highlight the importance of fostering a dialogue between science and society. We will demonstrate how this approach helps to mobilize young people to protect the environment, by empowering them as informed and engaged actors.
Shoreline CLEANUP: Upstream Action, Downstream Impact: Citizen Action to Stop Ocean Pollution at the Source
Date: Saturday, June 7
Time: 9:30 – 11:30 am
Click Here for Location
On June 7, we’ll kick-off Ocean week with a shoreline clean up of the Paillon river together with international partners including Captain Fanplastic, Peace Boat US, UOCEAN, SOS Mares, Oceanic Global, Blue Planet Alliance, Nice plogging and many more, along with local youth, environmental advocates and UNOC participants. With a fun, family-friendly atmosphere and an educational twist, the event will focus on SDG 14.1: reducing marine pollution from land-based activities.
Ocean Justice: Championing Fair and Inclusive Blue Economy
Date: Monday, June 9
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm
Location: NEO – art & culture lab x Vogel ART
VogelART LAB SARL
6 bis rue Lascaris, 06300, Nice, France
Register here to attend the side-event.
As discussion around sustainable use of the ocean expands, it is critical to deepen our understanding about justice within new developments in the marine environment (Germond-Duret et al., 2023). Little attention has been given to the lived experience of ocean-dependent communities who are particularly at risk of social injustice and dispossession, and to their very definition and understanding of the notion of ocean justice (Bennett et al, 2023). This solution-focused event will explore how different speakers and participants understand ocean justice and the obstacles to achieve inclusive blue economy. The meeting will provide an avenue for participants to share their innovation and best practices that could serve as viable routes to ocean justice.
Chair: Dr Senia Febrica, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University
Speakers:
H.E. Arief Havas Oegroseno, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Keynote speaker)
Dr Francois Bailet, United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of The Sea (UNDOALOS)
Dr Celine Germond-Duret, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University
Mr. Andrew Coriakula, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Government of Fiji
Emilie McGlone, Peace Boat US
Dr Alexandra R. Harrington, Chair of the IUCN WCEL Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force, Lancaster University
Alison Clausen, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO
Partners:
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Government of Fiji; Peace Boat US; United Nations Development Programme Archipelagic and Island States Forum Secretariat (UNDP AIS); Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO; International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Environmental Law (IUCN WCEL) Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force; Segara Nusa Nawasena, Indonesia.
Mobilizing Youth for Ocean and Climate Action—Harnessing Citizen Science and Capacity-Building
Date: Tuesday, June 10
Time: 12:15-1:30 pm
Location: Room 1, Blue Zone, UN Ocean Conference Port Lympia in Nice
Info: https://peaceboat.org/english/news/unoc3_sideevent_kiribati_youth
The side event led by the Government of Kiribati in collaboration with the Governments of Palau and Chile along with various NGO partners will highlight the importance of mobilizing youth to accelerate ocean action through capacity-building and citizen science, with a focus on SIDS youth on the front lines of the climate and ocean crises. It will showcase the power of youth representation in shaping ocean governance and the blue economy. Featuring initiatives like Peace Boat’s global voyages and the Africa-Europe Youth Ambassador Programme, the event will emphasize cross-sector partnerships for youth engagement in research, policy, and outreach. Speakers will come from diverse regions and sectors and include youth leaders, the Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN/AOSIS Chair, representatives from Kiribati, the Government of Chile, the Africa-Europe Foundation, the Indian Ocean Commission, Civil society organizations and academia.
Our Caribbean Director Kneyone Murray will be speaking at this event.
Leveraging Partnerships to Advance Ocean-Based Economies in Small Island Developing States
Date: Tuesday, June 10
Time: 14:00 - 15:15
Location: Blue Zone, ID 43, Room 3
Info: https://sdgs.un.org/events/UNOC3-SIDS-partnerships-ocean-based-economies
Advancing SIDS partnerships to accelerate sustainable ocean-based economies through environmental stewardship and economic diversification.
Our Executive Director Francois Rogers will be speaking at this event.
Together, We Rise
Date: Tuesday, June 10
Time: 17:30 - 18:45 CET
Location: Blue Zone, ID 51, Room 1
Collaboration among global stakeholders — public and private sector, local communities and youth — is key to overcoming challenges posed by threats to ocean health, so that together, we rise!
Speakers:
H.E. Surangel Whipps, Jr., President, Republic of Palau (Recipient, BPA SDG14 Award)
H.E. Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean (Recipient, BPA SDG14 Award and Keynote speaker)
H.E. Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN (Fireside chat)
Michelle Li, Executive Director, Women and Climate
Emilie McGlone, Executive Director, Peace Boat US
Kneyone Murray, Caribbean Director, Blue Planet Alliance
Sai Navoti, Chief of the SIDS Unit, UN DESA
Francois Rogers, Executive Director, Blue Planet Alliance
Ard Vreugdenhil, Field Director, Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao
Lance Gould, Senior Advisor, Blue Planet Alliance; CEO, Brooklyn Story Lab
Small Islands: Blue Circular Hubs for a 100% Renewable Future
Date: Wednesday, June 11
Time: 12:15 - 13:30 CET
Location: Blue Zone, ID 67, Room 2
Info: https://greeningtheislands.org/events/unoc3-2025/
Exploring renewable energy transitions in SIDS through circular economy models, offshore resources, and community-led energy solutions.
Our Executive Director Francois Rogers will be speaking at this event.
WHAT WE DO
Blue Planet Alliance (BPA) is working to end the use of carbon-based fuel.
If that sounds improbable, consider that our founder, Henk Rogers, led the movement that made Hawaii the first U.S. state to enact legislation mandating a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045.
And now, through our flagship Fellowship Program, we’re bringing islands from all over the world to Hawaii, to share how we did it — and how other islands can do it, too.
We've brought 37 islands to date to Hawaii (and 18 of those 37 have pledged to go 100% by 2045 or sooner). Our fifth cohort in October will see another 10 islands go through our Fellowship program.
Interested in applying to be a Fellow? We’re looking for participants who:
work for a power utility, or
work in the legislative or regulatory sector, or
lead a community program or initiative
Our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Partnerships program brings together like-minded organizations all over the world, organizations that — like us — keep the future health of the planet at the forefront of their own work.
By signing a non-binding MOU, partners publicly commit to collaborating with us to advance environmental sustainability and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. These partnerships help amplify our collective impact and grow a global movement for a cleaner, more resilient future.
