William was speaking at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) on ocean preservation at the Grimaldi Forum in the principality on Sunday.

The prince, whose opening and closing remarks were in French, said those attending the forum were “united by our deep connection to the ocean and our concern for its safety”.

William, wearing a navy suit with a recycled sustainable tie from Wilmok, said the “clock is ticking” to meet the target agreed at the UN Biodiversity Summit in 2022 aiming to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030.

World leaders were greeted by a blue carpet as they arrived at the event, with William meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles.

Giving a speech at the heads of state and government session on the final day of the forum, William said: “Rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing are putting pressure on these fragile ecosystems and on the people and communities who depend most upon them.

“What once seemed an abundant resource is diminishing before our eyes.

“We all stand to be impacted. And we are all responsible for change – both negative and positive. But there remains time to turn this tide.”

From left, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves Robles and The Prince of Wales (Manon Cruz/PA)

Speaking to an auditorium of 1,800 people, the prince added: “Watching human activity reduce beautiful sea forests to barren deserts at the base of our oceans is simply heartbreaking.

“For many, it is an urgent wake up call to just what is going on in our oceans. But it can no longer be a matter of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

“Halfway through this decisive decade, I call on all of you to think big in your actions.

“Let us act together with urgency and optimism while we still have the chance.

“For the future of our planet, for the future generations, we must listen to the words of Sir David Attenborough: ‘If we save the sea, we save our world’.”

William and Kate meeting Sir David Attenborough in 2021 (PA)

William was recorded in conversation with Sir David at the Royal Festival Hall in May, with the veteran broadcaster saying he hopes his new film Ocean, released on Sunday, will galvanise society into action “before we destroy this great treasure.”

In their meeting, the future king chatted with his natural history hero about their shared optimism for future discoveries in the planet’s seas, despite the threats they face.

With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, the prince and the veteran broadcaster have supported each other in their missions to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces.

In his Monaco speech, William said Sir David’s film “makes the most compelling argument for immediate action I have ever seen”.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “There should be no doubt that this speech is The Prince of Wales calling for action to save our oceans now. The world is watching.

“This is him using his platform to call for more to be done sooner rather than later.”

As he arrived at the forum, a journalist shouted to the Prince asking whether he was excited to go to Brazil, to which William replied: “Yes”.

The Prince of Wales arriving at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco (Manon Cruz/PA)

William also met finalists, winners and partners of the Earthshot Prize – a global environmental award of which he is founder and president.

Kensington Palace said the finalists and winners had showcased “innovative solutions that have the potential to reverse the damage caused to the oceans and that can preserve it for future generations”.

William met Sam Teicher from Coral Vita, a 2021 winner, which works to restore coral reefs by growing coral on land to replant in oceans and Jennifer Koepke from WildAid, a 2023 winner, which scales marine enforcement to end illegal fishing and strengthen ocean conservation.

William also met 2022 finalist Nick Wilson, whose entry was the Great Bubble Barrier, which works to prevent plastic pollution by intercepting waste before it reaches the ocean, and 2024 finalist Nicholas Hill from Coast 4C, which connects investment in coastal agriculture with conservation through the farming of regenerative seaweed.

Each year five winners are awarded the Earthshot Prize from a shortlist of 15.

The BEFF is organised by the government of Monaco, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, with support from France and Costa Rica.

The forum is a UN Ocean Conference special event and aims to contribute to the implementation of sustainable development goal 14 to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.

France is hosting the UN Ocean Conference from June 9 to June 13 in nearby Nice.

The King is due to host Mr Macron on a state visit by the French leader and his wife Brigitte Macron from July 8-10.

The French president will stay at Windsor Castle and be hosted at a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence during his stay.

The Prince of Wales will call on world leaders and the business community to “think big” and “with urgency” to address the potentially catastrophic damage being done to the world’s oceans.

Prince William’s call to action comes as he teamed up with Sir David Attenborough in a social media video to talk about the harmful effects of over-fishing, pollution and temperature rise on our marine environment.

On Sunday, the royal will travel to the south of France to deliver what’s been described as a “landmark speech” at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco.

He is expected to say: “Halfway through this decisive decade, I call on all of you to think big in your actions.

“Let us act together with urgency and optimism while we still have the chance.”

The forum, organised by the government of Monaco, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, with support from France and Costa Rica, will bring together business leaders and government representatives committed to restoring the health of the oceans.

The ocean covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and is essential to all life on Earth.

It generates half of the world’s oxygen, regulates our climate and provides food for over three billion people worldwide.

The event takes place ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, which will be held in Nice next week.

William will speak alongside President Chaves Robles of Costa Rica, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

‘The world is watching’

At a time when Prince William is increasingly being portrayed as a global statesman, we’re told these will be deliberately strong words from him.

A Kensington Palace spokesman added: “There should be no doubt that this speech is the Prince of Wales calling for action to save our oceans now.

“The world is watching. This is him using his platform to call for more to be done sooner rather than later.”

The prince and Sir David

To coincide with the event, and to attract a greater audience, a YouTube video has been posted by Kensington Palace, showing William and Sir David Attenborough laughing together as Sir David tries on his first-ever diving helmet.

But their conversation soon turns to more serious matters when they discuss Sir David’s new film, Oceans, and the horrific examples of damage uncovered.

When William asks: “David, from what you’ve obviously seen over the years, what state would you say the oceans are in right now?”

Sir David replies: “The awful thing is that it’s hidden from you and from me and most people.

“The thing which I am appalled by when I first saw the shots were taken for this film are what we have done to the deep ocean floor is just unspeakably awful.

“I mean, if you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms.

“If this film does anything, if it just shifts public awareness, it’ll be very, very important, and I can only hope that people who see it will recognise that something must be done before we destroy this great treasure.”

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A hopeful message

But trying to end on a hopeful message, which is an important part of Prince William’s approach to environmental issues, William asks: “Have you seen any stories where you feel that there is hope that we can turn this around?”

Sir David says: “What is heartening, really, is that we have the entree to people’s front rooms.

“Whole families sitting at home in comfort can actually suddenly see this coming up. Films like this can expose something new and interesting.”

Finalists from Prince William’s Earthshot Prize are also due to attend the forum in Monaco. The 2025 Earthshot Awards will be held in Brazil later this year.

(c) Sky News 2025: Prince William and Sir David Attenborough on ‘unspeakably awful’ deep ocean floor – as royal issues urgent call to a

As the oceans face devastating change from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Pacific governments are preparing for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, to be held in France in June 2025.

Speaking on the sidelines of this week’s Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu Feleti Teo spoke of the importance of the oceans’ agenda for the region.

“The people of the Pacific are people of the ocean and the ocean defines and characterises the Pacific,” Teo said. “The ocean is integral and fundamental to the character, the cultural heritage and the way of life of the Tangata Pasifika.”

Taking office after elections last January, Teo attended his first Forum leaders retreat on the island of Vava’u on Thursday. However the Tuvaluan leader has long experience in Pacific regional oceans policy, as a former Forum Deputy Secretary General, Director General of the Forum Fishery Agency (FFA) and executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Teo acknowledged that, taking office in Funafuti, “I regret to confess that there is no national ocean policy for Tuvalu, a major and unexpected surprise for me. My new administration is committed to strengthening oceans policy through policy coherence and financing. I have committed to developing a national ocean policy for Tuvalu.”

Developing both national and regional co-ordination of oceans policy is backed by the Office of the Pacific Islands Commissioner (OPOC) and Pacific Oceans Alliance. Since 2011,previous Forum Secretaries General Dame Meg Taylor and Henry Puna served as the region’s oceans’ commissioner. However with the 2023 restructuring of the Forum, OPOC is now astand-alone institution, with veteran Marshallese diplomat Dr. Filimon Manoni taking the role at the new OPOC headquarters in Koror, Republic of Palau.

“Robust co-ordination of oceans governance policies is critical, given the multitude of players in the ocean space,” Prime Minister Teo said. “So Tuvalu supports the use of regional offices like OPOC to develop and strengthen effective regional ocean mechanisms.”

At this week’s 53rd Forum leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres was a key international guest. In a series of speeches, he detailed the many ways that the ocean is affected by climate change.

Launching a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report on sea-level rise, Guterres said: “Global average sea levels are rising at rates unprecedented in the past 3000 years. The ocean is overflowing. The changes here in the Pacific region are visible since my last visit.”

The WMO study reveals that the average rate of sea level rise has more than doubled since the 1990s. Relative sea levels in the south western Pacific have risen even more than the global average – in some locations, by more than double the global increase in the past thirty years.

“Around the world, rising seas have unparallelled power to cause havoc to coastal cities and ravage coastal economies,” Guterres said. “The reason is clear: greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly generated by burning fossil fuels – are cooking our planet. And the sea is taking the heat – literally. It has absorbed more than 90% of global heating in the past fifty years.”

Setting goals for ocean protection

In 2015, the United Nations replaced the 2000 Millenium Development Goals with revisedSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In preparation for the change, Pacific diplomats worked for years to ensure that there was a specific goal on the oceans. This was achieved as Sustainable Development Goal 14 “on the conservation and sustainable management of oceans and seas” (SDG14).

As Fiji’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Peter Thomson played a crucial role in developing the new global objective.

“SDG14, to sustainably use the resources of the ocean, exists because of the Pacific Small Island Developing States in New York, and their determination to have an oceans SDG within the UN’s 2030 development agenda,” he said. “As one of the Ambassadors involved, it would not exist if it hadn’t been for our absolute persistence. No agenda without the ocean being in it! The UN Oceans conferences became the means by which we kept SDG 14 honest.”

On the international stage, Pacific nations are also working to strengthen the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). At the last CBD summit in Montreal, member countries set an ambitious target to conserve 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030 – a vision known in shorthand as “30 x 30”.

Today Ambassador Thomson serves as at the United Nation’s Secretary General Special Envoy on the Ocean. He says the CBD target is of vital importance, given the unexplored biodiversity of the world’s oceans.

“I’m kind of obsessed by 30 x 30 at the moment,” Thomson said. “Our earth scientists have told us that if we don’t protect 30% of the planet by 2030, we’re going to see a cascading loss of biodiversity on this planet. That has existential implications for our species as well. We’re way behind in getting to that 30% protection.”

“The ocean covers 71% of the planet – we’re actually Planet Ocean, not Planet Earth. 95% of the living space is in the ocean so it has to be a big part of this 30 x 30 push.”

Global oceans diplomacy

Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Special Envoy of the President of France for the Third Ocean Conference (Photo: Supplied)

“The people of the Pacific are people of the ocean and the ocean defines and characterises the Pacific,” Teo said. “The ocean is integral and fundamental to the character, the cultural heritage and the way of life of the Tangata Pasifika.”

Following meetings in New York (2017) and Lisbon (2022), the third UN Conference on the Ocean will be hosted by France in Nice in June 2025, preceded by a major global conference on ocean science and a summit in Monaco on finance for the Blue Economy.

Olivier Poivre d’Arvor is Special Envoy of the President of France for the Ocean Conference. Poivre d’Arvor attended the Forum leaders’ meeting in Nuku’alofa, to raise awareness of the conference and urge participation from Pacific Small Island Developing States.

The French government has proposed three core priorities for a series of conference next June, including the ratification of key multilateral oceans treaties, global co-ordinate on ocean science, and developing innovative sources of funding for ocean protection.

Poivre d’Arvor called on all Forum states to move ahead with the ratification of the new BBNJ Agreement – a global treaty on the regulation of the high seas outside national Exclusive Economic Zones (adopted in June 2023, the official title is the ‘Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction’, so you can see why they say BBNJ!).

“We need 60 ratifications of BBNJ, so please help us to get there,” he explained. “Secondly, we have to mobilise funding for sustainability in oceans and third, we need to better co-ordinate and serve marine science knowledge for better decision making, by creating a new platform between ocean science and policy.”

Next year, France will host the Third United Nations Ocean Conference from 9-13 June, preceded by three inter-connected meetings: the One Ocean Science Congress (4-6 June); the Ocean Rise and Resilience Coalition of cities and coastal regions (7 June) and the Blue Economy and Finance conference (7-8 June).

Palau a focal point for action

Palau’s Permanent UN Representative Ilana Seid will chair the Alliance of Small Island States from 2025 (Photo: Supplied)

Pacific Islands Forum member countries represented at the United Nations have all signed the BBNJ Agreement, but it must be ratified by 60 countries before it can enter into force – so there’s a big diplomatic push to get countries to act before the Ocean Conference in Nice.

In January 2024, the Republic of Palau took pride of place as the first nation in the world to ratify BBNJ (followed by the Federated States of Micronesia in June).

Addressing the 4th Small Islands Developing States conference in May, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said: “As the Co-Chair of the UN Ocean Panel, we know of the ocean’s promise as a solution for us SIDS. Palau is incredibly proud to be the first country to have ratified the BBNJ Treaty. Twenty years in the making, we now have an instrument as a global community for protecting biodiversity in the high seas.”

In Tonga this week, Palau’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ilana Seid noted that “Palau is the proud new home of the Office of the Pacific Oceans Commission, and has been mandated to be the implementation arm of the Pacific for BBNJ. We’re using this regional architecture to connect the High Seas and international waters with our regional oceans so we can figure out ocean governance for our countries.”

She also highlighted the need for financial commitments to fund the scientific research and policy change to implement ocean sustainability. As the incoming chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in 2025, Ambassador Seid encouraged regional involvement in the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.

“Sustainable Development Goal 14 is the least funded SDG at the United Nations,” she said, “so the Blue Economy and Finance meeting is an event where we’ll be championing more finances and resourcing into the oceans. We’re talking about how to unlock finance for Small Islands, who control 30% of the world’s oceans but get very little in terms of funding – for example how can capital markets create Blue Bonds.”