Welcome back to the Global Returns Project’s (GRP’s) monthly newsletter! This month, we’re looking beyond national borders to the High Seas – and what a landmark global agreement could mean for the future of our oceans.
All life on Earth relies heavily on our oceans: they generate around half of the oxygen we breathe, absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and regulate the planet’s climate. Yet, more than two-thirds of the oceans lie beyond national jurisdiction, in the High Seas, where only around 1% is currently under legal protection. For decades, this governance gap has left much of the ocean vulnerable to overfishing, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss.
That is beginning to change. Following recent ratifications, the UN High Seas Treaty – also known as the BBNJ Agreement – will come into legal effect next week. It is the first legally binding international agreement designed to safeguard marine biodiversity in international waters, opening the door to protection across roughly 43% of the planet.
Treaties alone do not protect ecosystems. Their impact depends on how effectively they are implemented – and on the organisations working to turn legal frameworks into real-world protection. This is where GRP’s charities play a vital role.
Blue Marine Foundation is part of the High Seas Alliance, a network of actors working to protect the High Seas, and played an important role in pushing for the ratification of the Treaty last year. Additionally, Blue Marine has been working with partners to identify biologically rich and threatened High Seas regions that could become Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) once the treaty is operational.
At the same time, ClientEarth has been demanding that global ocean management policy responds adequately to the current crisis, including at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in June. At a recent GRP event, ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke OBE highlighted how the BBNJ Agreement sends a powerful signal that multilateral cooperation on nature is still possible – even at a time when global collaboration on climate action often feels fragile.
Together, these efforts show how global cooperation can support our planet, through strong international frameworks, backed by credible organisations with the expertise to deliver lasting impact.
GRP ensures that your donation goes directly to accelerating nature and climate solutions like this. By supporting organisations that operate at critical leverage points, GRP helps turn global ambition into meaningful action, when it matters most.