Minderoo Foundation announces €3 million partnership to advance ocean and climate resilience

24 Sept 2025 – Minderoo Foundation will enter into a landmark €3 million (A$5.3 million) partnership to supercharge global understanding of the ocean’s vital role in stabilising the Earth’s climate.

The new partnership with the Planetary Boundaries Initiative, led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), was announced today during New York Climate Week, where world leaders, scientists, and climate advocates are gathering to confront the escalating planetary emergency.

At the heart of this collaboration is the Planetary Boundaries framework, pioneered by world-renowned Earth system scientist Johan Rockström. This groundbreaking model identifies nine (9) critical Earth system processes that define the safe operating space for humanity and underpin the planet’s long-term resilience.

The Minderoo partnership will build on PIK’s groundbreaking work through a five-year research program focused on two (2) critical areas: ocean heat and carbon uptake, and marine biodiversity resilience. This will expand the framework to capture the ocean’s central role in climate regulation and biosphere integrity.

“The ocean is our planet’s largest natural carbon sink and a critical buffer against climate disruption. But its resilience is being pushed to the brink. This partnership is about putting the ocean at the centre of global climate action – where it belongs,” Dr Andrew Forrest, Founder of Minderoo Foundation, said.

“Minderoo Foundation is proud to stand behind the world’s leading scientists as they develop the tools and insights needed to safeguard our ocean and the life it sustains. We’re delivering science in service of survival.”

John Hartman, CEO of Minderoo Foundation, added: “Science must guide action. By backing leading researchers at PIK, we can ensure the ocean is recognised as central to climate stability and strengthen the evidence base global leaders rely on to drive urgent policy change.”

Since its introduction in 2009, the Planetary Boundaries framework has shaped global sustainability science and policy. With growing recognition of the ocean’s critical role in regulating climate and sustaining life, the Minderoo partnership will build on that foundation by placing the ocean at the heart of the framework.

“With Minderoo Foundation’s support, we can now further advance our understanding of the ocean’s buffering capacity and biodiversity, and identify robust indicators to integrate them into the Planetary Boundaries framework,” Johan Rockström, Director of PIK, said.

“This is a major step forward in recognising the ocean not just as a victim of climate change, but as a cornerstone of planetary resilience.”

The research will be delivered through two (2) work packages:

Ocean Heat and Carbon Sink Dynamics: using advanced Earth system models and global observational data, researchers will further investigate tipping points and develop new control variables – such as carbon uptake efficiency and thermal buffering capacity – for inclusion in the Planetary Boundaries framework.

Marine Biodiversity Metrics: scientists will evaluate a range of potential indicators of ocean biodiversity such as habitat degradation, fisheries pressure and trophic structure to assess systemic risks to Earth system stability. These metrics will inform global policy and advocacy efforts, including the Planetary Health Check and future iterations of the Planetary Boundaries framework.

Minderoo Foundation’s €3 million investment will support senior scientists, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students, as well as workshops, publications and science communication efforts.

The announcement builds on Minderoo Foundation’s broader commitment to ocean conservation, including its advocacy for the High Seas Treaty and the protection of 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.

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