Reflections from our World Ocean Day panel discussion.
To mark World Ocean Day, we hosted a webinar exploring the powerful but often overlooked connection between the ocean and climate change. From frontline impacts to future-focused solutions, the panel brought together leading voices from oceanography, blue carbon finance, risk and insurance, and grassroots community action to unpack how we move from conversation to real, lasting change.
What we heard was clear.
The ocean has long acted as a silent buffer, absorbing 90% of the planet’s excess heat and up to 30% of carbon emissions. But as oceanographer Professor Jennifer Verduin reminded us, that buffer is reaching its limits. Ocean systems are now amplifying the effects of climate change, from rising sea levels and acidification to shifts in ocean currents and polar feedback loops. The pace and scale of these changes are profound, and the time to act is now.
Dr Tonny Wagey highlighted the enormous potential of blue carbon ecosystems, like mangroves and seagrasses, to sequester carbon and support coastal resilience. But he stressed that real impact depends on strong governance, clear ownership structures, and deep engagement with the communities who live alongside these ecosystems. Blue carbon solutions must be more than carbon accounting exercises, they must deliver tangible, equitable benefits to both nature and people.
Looking through a financial lens, Dan Fairweather emphasised the growing recognition that nature is not just a resource, but an asset. As insurers and investors begin to account for biodiversity, coastal resilience, and long-term ecosystem health in their decision-making, nature-based solutions are emerging not just as the right thing to do, but the economically sensible path forward. Projects that integrate green and grey infrastructure, like mangroves and seawalls, are proving to be more cost-effective and durable over time.
Georgia Watson, representing Illawarra-based group Good for the Gong, spoke to the complexity of engaging communities in ocean-climate action, particularly in the face of misinformation. Her message: lead with curiosity, stay grounded in values, and use storytelling to show people they belong in the conversation.
So, what needs to change?
We’ve had these conversations for decades. As our panelists agreed, the moment for action is overdue.
Governments must lead with ambition, but that leadership must be informed by science, grounded in community, and backed by policy that enables long-term, place-based solutions.
Dr Wagey noted that while interest in blue carbon is growing globally, action is often limited by a lack of clarity, around governance, customary ownership, financing mechanisms, and trust. Without addressing these foundational issues, even the most promising initiatives can falter.
Dan Fairweather called for a transformation in how we value nature within financial systems. For too long, ecosystems have been treated as extractable resources, not critical assets. But that’s beginning to shift. Investors, insurers, and large funds are increasingly looking for returns that include biodiversity, resilience, and community benefit, not just carbon. Governments must help create the enabling conditions that let these models thrive.
And at the heart of all of this: community. Informed communities have the confidence to demand sufficient and necessary action from leaders. When people understand the stakes and feel empowered in the conversation, they’re more likely to push for the kind of bold, structural change that’s needed. We must bring everyone along with us, making eco-literacy, transparency, and access to information central to the solutions we design.
And what gives us hope?
From seagrass meadows replanted off the coast of Western Australia to arts-and-science family fun days in Wollongong, the panel closed by sharing the successes they’ve seen, and what they hope to see scaled.
Jen Verduin shared how small-scale restoration efforts have triggered full ecosystem recovery within years, including natural flowering, recruitment, and the return of tiny invertebrates once lost. Tony Wagey spoke about community-scale payment for ecosystem service projects that build local ownership and trust. Dan Fairweather highlighted the emerging biodiversity credit markets that, when layered with carbon and social metrics, may finally offer a more holistic way to fund ecosystem restoration. And Georgia Watson reminded us that it’s everyday people who show up, volunteering, bringing their kids to events, engaging positively with complex issues, who give her hope.
As our facilitator, Jessica Leck, reminded us: hope is not just a feeling, it’s an action word.
Now is the time to turn that hope into action. Let’s continue building the partnerships, policies, and the shared understanding needed to secure a resilient ocean future.
Webinar recording: The Ocean and Climate Change – from Impact to Action