Hope Across Oceans
- Climate Hope
- Nov 17
- 2 min read
This is part of our “Letters from Belém” series — reflections written from afar as the world gathers for COP30 in Brazil. Though we’re joining virtually, our hearts are with those working for climate justice across the globe.
Dear Leaders,
As negotiators in Belém discussed oceans, ambition, and timelines, our islands in the Philippines were recovering from two punishing typhoons. Homes flooded. Fields washed out. Coastlines reshaped. The storms did not wait for closing statements. They arrived, delivered their message, and moved on.
At COP30, nations pledged stronger commitments to ocean health, including expanded marine protections, coastal restoration, and investments in blue carbon. These gains matter. Ocean ambition is finally receiving overdue recognition for its role in climate stability.
But one truth still hovered just beneath the applause. Ocean action without emissions cuts cannot hold. Marine sanctuaries cannot outrun warming seas. Protecting the ocean while avoiding emissions is like building a lifeboat and ignoring the hole in the ship.
We feel this reality clearly in the Philippines. Warmer oceans fuel stronger typhoons. Storm surges reach farther inland. Ocean health and climate action are not parallel tracks. They are the same road.
What We Carry Forward
Even so, hope persists.
Across our coasts, communities are restoring mangroves, rebuilding fish habitats, and tending coral gardens damaged by storms. This is ocean protection rooted in daily care, not policy language.
So when leaders speak of ocean ambition, we ask for ambition that matches the courage already shown on the ground. Protect the waters that feed us. Defend the coasts that shield us. And confront the emissions that amplify every disaster.
The ocean remembers who shows up when the winds rise.
Join the Movement
Support the organizations on our Take Action page and uplift coastal defenders across the Philippines and the Amazon. Share this letter so ocean hope can travel farther.
The sea is speaking. It is time to listen with more than our applause.
With care, ClimateHope.us and Boogie
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