Lettre Bleue

Background:

  • The third UN Ocean Conference will take place in Nice from 9–13 June 2025.

  • This will be a critical moment to remind governments that plastic pollution remains one of the biggest threats to our marine environment.

  • Ahead of the Conference, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has urged world leaders to recognise the ocean as a central pillar of climate action in the lead-up to COP30 and adopt a robust Global Plastics Treaty. If we are serious about safeguarding our Ocean, countries must commit to a Treaty that focuses on cutting plastic production, as experts recommend, rather than relying on recycling and waste management alone.

    In the wake of AOSIS's statement and in the spirit of mutirão - collective action for the common good - water sport athletes from fifteen different countries have come together in a statement of solidarity

  • Ask:

  • We are asking watersport athletes and federations to get behind this call for a fossil fuel/plastic free ocean, urging governments to back an ambitious Global Plastic Treaty that prioritizes cutting plastic production.

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Wilson at melissa@athletesoftheworld.org or +447966709092. 


Letter text:

Dear World Leaders, 


Next week, the world will look to you as you meet at a historic Ocean Summit - a moment that holds extraordinary political power as we mark 10 years since the Paris Agreement was signed.

As athletes who see the beauty and fragility of the oceans in our daily life, we urge you to prioritize the protection of these precious places.

The ocean is our planet’s great pulse - vast, fragile, and essential. It shapes our climate, sustains life, and nourishes cultures, dreams, and identities.

But today, this living force is under siege. Climate change, fuelled by the expansion of fossil fuels and plastic pollution, is suffocating marine life and accelerating the collapse of its ecosystems.

Coral bleaching is turning vibrant reefs into underwater graveyards, oil spills are poisoning entire food chains, and acidification is eating away at the ocean’s very foundation. Plastic waste now blankets the seafloor and chokes marine animals.

Rising sea levels are submerging nations, and extreme weather events are devastating coastal communities: humanity is now on an odyssey of despair. Small Island Nations are being robbed of their right to a thriving, healthy ocean, without their consent.

In solidarity with the Alliance of Small Island States, we call on you to rise to this moment. 

We ask you to:

  • Put the ocean at the heart of climate action this year. We urge all nations - especially major polluters like the G20 -  to honor the 1.5°C commitment by submitting strong climate plans (NDCs) ahead of COP30. These plans are our lifeline to a healthy ocean.

  • End the era of fossil fuels, especially at sea. We cannot afford any new fossil fuel infrastructure or polluting fuels powering our trade; instead, we must urgently turn the tide toward renewable energy.

  • Help end the plastic wave by backing a Global Plastics Treaty that truly protects island nations and ocean life.

  • Stand up for the High Seas. Help bring the High Seas Treaty to life and protect the deepest waters of our planet.

  • Chart a new course towards sustainable finance, easing the burden of debt that holds back many nations from protecting the seas that sustain us all. 

The ocean is not merely a resource, but a living legacy that shapes who we are. In the spirit of mutirão, we are committed to doing our part - and we trust that you are ready to do yours as well.

We urge you to act - for the ocean, for the climate, and for all life on Earth.

With hope,



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