Blue economy - how to unleash the potential of the oceans in the service of the planet

Blue economy - a new look at the global economic model

The climate crisis is the most serious global challenge facing humanity in the coming decades. However, minimizing its effects is definitely not enough at this moment. The key from our perspective should be the fight against the main cause of the current situation: the idea of ​​infinite economic growth based on the exploitation of the planet's limited natural resources. In this context, not only the transformation of the global economic model is necessary, but also the way society is organized itself.

Here comes the relatively new concept of the so-called "blue economy" (ang. blue economy). Its author is the Belgian economist Gunter Pauli, who first described it in detail in the book published in 2010 The Blue Economy: 10 years – 100 innovations – 100 million jobs. It is "an extremely valuable, refreshing attempt to create and popularize a new, unspoiled by the model of unrestrained consumerism view of reality", believes Professor Elżbieta Mączyńska, an economist from the Warsaw School of Economics.

- Gunter Pauli's book is a loud call for common sense in managing natural resources, a call supported by pointing out solutions and technologies that can ensure ecological balance, a call for a new look at reality - Professor Mączyńska was convinced in her review of Pauli's book.

Blue economy in the service of a green planet

Currently, the idea of ​​the blue economy is becoming not only the subject of academic debate, but also one of the key points on the agenda of successive government institutions and international organizations. The World Bank defines it as the sustainable use of the resources of seas and oceans to improve the quality of life and employment of people and to maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems. According to the European Commission, it is all economic activities related to seas and oceans.

According to Virginijus Sinkevicius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, the blue economy also plays a "key role in achieving the European Union's ambitions for the introduction of the European Green Deal".

– The ocean and marine ecosystems are fundamental elements of the economy of the future, such as renewable energy, healthy food, ecological transport and innovative nature-based solutions – wrote Sinkevicius in the introduction to The Blue Economy Report 2022.

This only shows that this concept is currently perceived as the most comprehensive solution to global economic, social and environmental crises, including poverty, lack of food security or climate change. In this context, the most complete dimension of the blue economy is exhausted by the definition of The Center for the Blue Economy, which breaks it down into three separate aspects. The first is the general contribution of seas and oceans to the global economy, the second - an opportunity for developed and developing countries for sustainable development using such an economic model, and the third - the need to care for the preservation of global water resources in the most natural state possible.

Currently, due to overexploitation, pollution and loss of biodiversity, the seas and oceans themselves are on the brink of an ecological disaster. Therefore, a conscious effort must first be made to prevent their pollution in order to increase their economic efficiency in the future and implement the assumptions of the blue economy. The world is becoming more and more aware of this.

There is no blue economy without the protection of seas and oceans

The main point of this year's agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 14: Live below the water was precisely to assess progress in the protection and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.

– In the last 5 years, the EU has made moderate progress in achieving sustainable development goal no. 14. The positive aspect is that protected marine areas have increased, and fish stocks in EU marine waters (especially in the Northeast Atlantic) seem to be recovering due to reduced fishing pressure. Negative trends are visible, however, in the areas of ocean acidification (as a result of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity) and eutrophication – we read in the report.

Initiatives such as the EU Mission Charter "Rebuilding Oceans and Waters" aim to change this situation by 2030. As part of it, the European Commission wants to support the construction of a digital knowledge system about oceans and waters and social mobilization and engagement. The institution also wants to establish simple, integrative, and inspiring frameworks to strengthen cooperation and create local "marine lighthouses", i.e., pilot sites, demonstrations, development, and implementation of mission actions within the main seas and river basins in the EU. The representation of the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) signed this declaration on behalf of Poland at the beginning of June 2023 during the first edition of the Blue Economy Baltic Forum in Gdańsk - an event aimed at strengthening the cooperation of countries in the Baltic Sea region.

However, there are also other initiatives in Europe aimed at improving the situation of waters and striving to implement the assumptions of the blue economy. One of them is The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership composed of 60 entities from 25 EU countries. As part of the initiative, investments in research and innovation worth a total of 450 million euros are planned over the next seven years, as well as the unification of national sea and ocean protection programs on a pan-European scale. This partnership concerns not only the Baltic Sea but also the Mediterranean, Black, and North Seas and the Atlantic Ocean.

Finally, there are also numerous startups that, in response to the new direction of European policy, have decided to develop ideas related to the blue economy. These companies use the latest technologies and strategies to face burning challenges and create a more sustainable future for our oceans. To further nurture and support the development of the blue economy, several programs and initiatives have been established.

For example, the acceleration program Blue Value run by Oceano Azul in Lisbon, along with initiatives such as Malta's Maritime Forum and BlueTechPort in Barcelona, actively drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the maritime sector. These initiatives provide startups with resources, mentoring, and funding, while attracting investment and creating a conducive environment for their success. Thanks to projects like the expected expansion of BlueTechPort in Barcelona worth 50 million euros, these programs are expected to drive the development of the blue economy, promoting economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.

Blue economy - what's next?

The above initiatives, programs and investments show that both entrepreneurs and political decision-makers recognize the need to focus on the sustainable use of oceans in the economy. However, this mainly applies to Europe for now. In the coming years, the involvement of the entire international community will be crucial, as only the joint effort of the whole world can ensure success. The seas and oceans need integrated support and dialogue from all parties - and this also applies to us, consumers and local communities.