The Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) was founded in 1999 by directors of oceanographic institutions around the world as a forum to promote and advance the observation of the global ocean. POGO is a UK-registered charity with member institutions from around the world, and works closely with other international and regional programmes and organisations.
POGO seeks to expand international support for ocean observing, through innovation of the ocean observing system, capacity development and outreach/advocacy.
COP30 (30th Annual Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)) took place in Belém, Brazil from 10 to 21 November, 2025
POGO participated in the conference via several channels:
Official side event
How to be SMART in meeting ocean-climate-societal challenges in a changing landscape
As planetary boundaries are breached the ocean & society are increasingly impacted & there is an urgent need for climate-smart scientific solutions, policy & enabling conditions. Speakers will share adaptation, governance & finance examples to address challenges in this dynamic landscape.
Event partners: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Delta Electronics Foundation, Fondation, BNP Paribas (Fondation BNP Paribas), International Coral Reef Society (ICRS), and Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO)
Date: 19 November 2025 Session time: 16:45 – 18:15 Location: Side event room 7, Area C, Blue Zone
Other side events with POGO and/or Member involvement
Neptune Mission: Navigating the High Seas from Nice to Belem
Introducing the Neptune Mission – a new global initiative launched at UNOC3 to accelerate ocean exploration and support its sustainable governance. Focusing on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, Neptune brings together research fleets, scientific institutions, and philanthropic partners. The purposes are to advance ocean observations, data sharing, and capacity building, underpin the High Seas Treaty, and come up with new science-based solutions for climate and biodiversity challenges.
Speakers:
H.E. Marina Silva (TBC) / Minister of the Environment and Climate Change / Brazil
Ashok ADICEAM / Managing Director / Neptune Mission
Francisco Arias Isaza / Capt., Director-General, INVEMAR, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Colombia / President of POGO, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean
François HOUILLIER / Dr., President and CEO / IFREMER, French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, France
Margaret LEINEN / Professor, Former Director / Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, USA
Vladimir RYABININ / Dr., International Consultant / Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, USA
Peter de Menocal / Dr., President and Director / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Ocean Waves Break(through) in Tropical Cyclone Prediction
Predictions of tropical cyclone (TC) tracks have improved over decades. Predictions of TC intensity lag behind. Strongest TCs tend to be underpredicted. We show that interactive account of wind waves reduces errors of numerical reforecasts by more than 90% (!). More lives will be saved, particularly in a warmer climate, if oceanographers and meteorologists work hand in hand on TC forecasting – improving observations, data assimilation, modelling, and interpretation of model output.
Speakers:
Vladimir RYABININ / Dr., International Consultant / Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, USA
Fangli QIAO / Professor, Deputy Director / First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, P.R. China
Albert FISCHER / Dr., WMO Integrated Global Observing System Branch, Infrastructure Department / World Meteorological Organization
(with co-hosts: Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO)
Monday 17 to Thursday 20 November 2025 Booth 47, Blue Zone
Why the Ocean Matters in Climate Negotiations: Sharing the latest developments in climate challenges, impacts & options towards sustainable ocean development connecting science, industry, policy & society on ocean action in the UNFCCC processes and strengthening NDCs.
VIRTUAL OCEAN PAVILION EXHIBIT
The COP30 Virtual Ocean Pavilion is an online platform which aims to raise the visibility of the ocean and showcase why the ocean matters in climate negotiations and to all life on our planet. A virtual format ensures that the Pavilion is able to respond to changes in the COP30 schedule and will reach a much wider audience than just those able to attend COP30.
POGO is a signatory on the COP30 Belém Ocean Declaration, whereby the partners of the Ocean Pavilion at COP30 and associated stakeholders call on world leaders to recognize the ocean’s vital role, alongside forests, as a regulator of global climate, and entreat UNFCCC negotiators to integrate ocean action into the Global Stocktake outcomes and into the next round of nationally determined contributions, ensuring that commitments are measurable, transparent and enforceable.
