Nice, France – June 14, 2025 – CoastalPro through the Institute for Sustainable Development at EPLO proudly participated in the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference with a dedicated delegation, reaffirming its commitment to advancing ocean literacy, climate resilience, and marine biodiversity. The high-level event, held in Nice, France, concluded with the unanimous adoption of the “Nice Ocean Action Plan”, a political declaration that underscores the critical role of the ocean in sustaining life on Earth and mitigating climate change.

The declaration – formally titled “Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action” – sends a strong message: the health of the ocean is in crisis, and the pace of action is far too slow to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) or the wider UN 2030 Agenda. The Institute for Sustainable Development joins global voices in recognizing the need for immediate, coordinated efforts to restore ocean ecosystems, reduce pollution, and promote sustainable ocean-based economies.

The Institute for Sustainable Development Director, Spyros Kouvelis, Board Member of the EU Mission Ocean and key co-author of the European Ocean Pact, participated as a speaker in the launch of the Ocean Pact and in events disseminating the EU Missions and the work the European Commission has been doing in support of climate and ocean resilience.

The Institute’s head for policy and programs, Christina Deligianni, participated in the Climate Action panels and in the plenary, disseminating information about the CoastalPro project and the gamified approach to the CoastalPro course.

The team also held consultations with three EU Commissioners, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, and the EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall.