The Virtual Ocean Pavilion is a free online platform dedicated to raising the visibility of the ocean and showcasing why it matters for climate negotiations and all life on our planet. By making ocean-climate discussions accessible to everyone, the Pavilion helps democratize engagement with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), bringing together diverse voices, knowledge and solutions from around the world.
Visitors can access live and on-demand events, expert insights, resources, recordings, and opportunities to connect with the global ocean-climate community. Through this shared platform, the Pavilion promotes transparency, inclusivity and equitable access, helping to increase awareness, commitment and action for the ocean-climate nexus.
Building on the momentum of past Virtual Ocean Pavilions (COP26, COP27, COP28, COP29, and COP30), the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion will:
Beyond the traditional aims, this year's COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion will continue to highlight the following focal areas:
Register for the Virtual Ocean Pavilion to get online access to live ocean events from 2 to 20 November and on-demand content from 21 November to 21 December. All you will need is a Wi-Fi connection and a smart phone, tablet, or computer. Following each live event, on-demand event recordings will be available throughout the duration of the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion.
"The COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion gave us the capability of engaging with the thousands of people who couldn't attend COP26 in person, thereby also providing a climate-friendly option to reduce the Pavilion's carbon footprint."
"Our Eco-Ambassadors absolutely loved taking part in the Virtual Ocean Pavilion interview.... It was inspiring to know that their voices and ideas formed even a tiny part of the global conversation at COP30! It was especially cool to know that our pupils were the youngest participants in the VOP...."
"This was a wonderful platform to connect and have one mind to work towards achieving SDG14, Life Below Water"
"The Virtual Ocean Pavilion has given us a valuable seat at the table where important decisions are being made. For many NGOs and individuals, the cost of travel and accommodation—often pushed up during major international events—can make attendance extremely difficult, or simply impossible. This is why the VOP is so important: it helps bridge that gap, keeping people informed, connected and able to engage with live events wherever they are."
"I have been a great beneficiary of this [Virtual] Ocean Pavilion closely following how the conversations have been going around during the previous years, and I can attest to the fact that it has truly been that space that has democratized access to ocean information and also access to these climate and ocean conversations."
Panel discussions and roundtables address critical ocean-climate-biodiversity priorities and provide forums for dialogue amongst Pavilion partners and attendees.
Virtual exhibition spaces allow attendees to explore national, regional, and global initiatives of leading ocean and climate organizations. Interviews with experts, policymakers, negotiators, and other leading ocean and climate voices provide insights into COP31 negotiations.
Daily updates through the Treasure Trove, a daily informational bulletin of the Pavilion, highlight the latest news on ocean and climate events happening at and around the COP; schedules and reminders for upcoming pavilion webinars and roundtable sessions; exhibit spotlights showcasing interactive virtual booths from leading ocean organizations; stories from the sea, ocean poetry, art, music, and trivia; and special segments and highlights focused on youth-led ocean action.
A dedicated COP31 Ocean Events Calendar will enable an overview of ocean-related events taking place in and around the Conference, while opportunities for networking and collaboration will help facilitate connections across the global ocean community.
The topline messages of the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion emanate from the COP31 Presidency, the High-Level Climate Change Champions, and Activation Group 7 (AG7) on efforts to preserve and restore ocean and coastal ecosystems, drawing from the Ocean Breakthroughs' Blue Package and other Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) initiatives, alongside the outcomes of the 2026 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue and the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11). Led by Atılım University and Communications Inc, the partners of the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion and ocean-focused collaborators from around the world are co-developing these messages to connect localized regional vulnerabilities, such as those in the host region of the Mediterranean, with global policy frameworks. These key priorities will serve as the focus of live events and roundtables. All attendees will be encouraged to review, reflect, and react to the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion key messages, which will be available here soon. We highly encourage dialogue among attendees and Virtual Ocean Pavilion partners, as well as sharing these messages with wider audiences.
We invite you to register your COP31 ocean-related events in the Ocean Event Tracker. Information gathered through the tracker will be incorporated into a calendar of ocean events accessible through the Virtual Ocean Pavilion.
The Virtual Ocean Pavilion builds on collaborative projects across organizations in the global ocean and climate community. Over the past five iterations of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion, we have worked with more than 90 major ocean and climate organizations worldwide.
The COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion seeks partnerships for the sixth iteration of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at COP31 with governments, intergovernmental organizations, research and academic institutions, and other stakeholders working to advance ocean-climate action. While the live event and roundtable features are at capacity, the COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion co-organizers invite Expressions of Interest by 23 October 2026 from partners interested in hosting exhibition booths. General sponsorships to support the Pavilion's implementation are also welcome.
Photo Credits for Landing Page Carousel: Photo 1 Feather star courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute/Center for Oceanic Island Ecology and Sustainable Management (ESMOI), Universidad Católica del Norte; Photos 2 (Fiji), 3 (Marine Shipping), 5 (Great Barrier Reef), 6 (Mekong River Delta), 9 (Bondi Beach), 11 (Antalya Coast), and 12 (Sydney Opera House) courtesy of Unsplash; Photo 4 Whale tail, Disko Bay, Greenland courtesy of Glenn Le Bras, Studio PONANT / Ocean Image Bank; Photo 7 Artisanal fishing in India courtesy of Dr. Yugraj Yadava; Photo 8 Seagrass courtesy of Canva; Photo 10 Offshore wind courtesy of ALTERGA