7 Affordable & Clean Energy |
Research & Innovation |
Innovation largely within industry silos. The uptake of
offshore renewables is patchy, and benefits in terms of decarbonisation
efforts are sub-optimal. Deployment of offshore renewable energy (in
particular offshore wind) grows fast in the UK, EU and China. However in
other jurisdictions, this growth is less rapid due to technical
challenges and a yet to be established supply chain. |
Shared
investments and technologies. Offshore industry collaborates and shares
investment in research, technology and infrastructure. This allows for
faster innovation and delivers efficient technology that aims, for
example, at zero waste generation and carbon neutral footprints.
Increased production and uptake of offshore renewables, innovation in
energy storage systems, and co-location of renewable production with
other sectors achieves decarbonisation. By 2030 offshore aquaculture is
a major carbon sequestration industry and source of
bioenergy. |
8 Decent Work & economic growth
|
Governance
|
Continuous pursuit of economic growth without a focus on circular
economy (underlying economic model)
Inadequate redistribution of benefits. Offshore activities are
corporatized and resource ownership highly concentrated. Companies are
granted rights to access offshore resources under legal frameworks that
silo development considerations and thus undermine conservation. Low
corporate taxation and inadequate mechanisms for redistributing benefits
mean that inequities persist, and wealth is further concentrated.
|
Pursuit of sufficiency and circular economy; downscaling of production
and reduction of consumption in high-consumption countries
(underlying economic model)
Fair redistribution of benefits. Governments ensure equitable
use of offshore resources with developments predicated on need and sited
for maximum positive and synergistic outcomes. Planning processes
include systematic ecological and socioeconomic assessments such as
those developed for multi-use offshore platforms.
Government incentivises research collaboration and encourages private
sector investment. Lease and licencing arrangements is through national
and international institutions. Fees capture economic rents that can be
used to relieve poverty, improve health and well-being, and
education.
|
9 Industry Innovation & Infrastructure
|
Governance
Values of the Ocean
Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
|
Weak private sector engagement with SDGs. The growing cost of
deteriorating environmental health to businesses encourages greater
engagement with sustainability. However, quick fixes result in some of
these efforts being ineffective. The lack of regulatory policies
factoring in the cost of environmentally damaging behaviours results in
industry continuing to use the environment as a free resource.
Innovation within industry silos. Technology and knowledge
transfer is limited. The benefits of innovation are concentrated in a
small number of profitable companies. Individual industries still bear
the brunt of most R&D expenditure. Sustainable and economically viable
operations for emergent industries are slower than anticipated due to
the need to work in a remote, harsh and poorly understood environment
Hidden data and information (see SDG 14)
|
Structured approach to offshore developments. Offshore
developments require considerable research to overcome manufactory
challenges and to understand and mitigate potential environmental
impacts. A two stage process is put in place to ensure a structured
approach to offshore developments.
Greater private sector engagement with SDGs. Social and
environmental responsibility drives more cost effective private sector
engagement with SDGs and sustainability. Standard auditing practices
require businesses to explicitly show externalities, and sustainability
in annual reporting. Investors increasingly consider businesses
contribution to wellbeing and environmental stewardship to choose
investment options.
Shared investments and technologies. Industry terms of
references for working offshore include shared investment in innovation
and infrastructure. Innovation focuses on developing and integrating
technologies for multi-use offshore platforms, and on global issues -
e.g. climate change mitigation. Integrated management approaches and
shared information platforms allow for faster innovation and
technological developments.
Transparent data and information (see SDG 14)
|
12 Responsible Consumption and Production
|
Governance
Values of the Ocean
Values of the Ocean
|
Inadequate redistribution of benefits (see SDG 8)
Weak environmental consciousness (see SDG 14)
Weak private sector engagement with SDGs (see SDG 9)
|
Fair redistribution of benefits (see SDG 8)
Greater environmental consciousness (see SDG 14)
Greater private sector engagement with SDGs (see SDG 9)
|
14 Life below water
|
Values of the Ocean
Governance
Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
Values of the Ocean
Governance
|
Weak environmental consciousness. Slow development of
sustainable solution for offshore areas is due to 1) the tendency of
society to look to offshore alternatives only when land based solutions
reach breaking point; 2) a failure to think strategically about
cumulative and intergenerational impacts; 3) poor reflection upon the
values of offshore areas, which are ‘out of sight and out of mind’.
Ineffective environmental management.
Politically motivated simplification of environmental regulatory
constraints sees multiple use zoning degrade to “paper parks”. A
policy vacuum sees slow regulatory action around developments of new
offshore industries. Offshore waters effective division into areas for
production by individual sectors and areas for conservation means that
opportunities for co-location are lost and the assessment of cumulative
effects is compromised. Minimal investment in monitoring that is useful
at a systematic scale and constrained regulatory budgets further hamper
the management of impacts.
Hidden data and information. Data collected during exploration
voyages to assess the economic potential of offshore resources are only
partially shared. This prevents full cataloguing of baseline ecological
functions, delays policy and regulatory development and hampers the
growth of sustainable ocean business.
Innovation within industry silos (see SDG 7 & 9)
Weaker private sector engagement with SDGs (see SDG 9)
|
Greater environmental consciousness. Increased environmental
consciousness increases demand for environmental friendly options. This
is partly due to 1) a growing recognition that the instrumental values
of the ocean are at risk if environmental values are not maintained; 2)
technological innovations allowing for informed personal choices and
facilitating the engagement with participatory processes.
Effective environmental management.
The impacts of offshore infrastructure and decommissioning issues are
carefully considered.
Cooperation between government, industry and academia lead to agreed and
evidence-based measures for marine environmental protection. This is
possible as high resolution scientific data become available and shared.
Transparent data and information. High resolution scientific
data are widely available and shared across sectors and countries.
Greater information sharing reduces individual costs of EIAs and
planning processes and accelerates evidence-based actions and attainment
of sustainable solutions.
Shared investments and technologies (see SDG 7 & 9)
Greater private sector engagement with SDGs (see SDG 9)
Structured approach to offshore developments (see SDG 9)
|
16 Peace, justice and strong institutions
|
Governance
Partnership
|
Inadequate redistribution of benefits (see SDG 8)
Geopolitical emphasis on expansion. As new offshore resources
are discovered, countries expand their territorial claim (EEZs) and
maritime power to ensure continued access. Tensions increase and,
without suitable international resolution mechanisms, the risk of open
hostility is high.
|
Fair redistribution of benefits (see SDG 8)
Geopolitical emphasis on sustainability. Tension between
countries and risk of open conflicts drops as geopolitical emphasis
moves to sustainable use of shared resources, decarbonisation and a
circular economy. Such tension is not eradicated, but geopolitical
processes are initiated to support conflict resolution, shared
management of resources.
|
17 Partnership for the goals
|
Partnership
Research & Innovation
Governance
Research & Innovation
Partnership
|
Loss of collaboration. Without firm motivation, developments
are characterised by competition and asymmetric power relations. The
legitimacy of the Blue Economy construct is damaged. Societal
expectations are not met and the public is disenfranchised with offshore
Blue Economy outcomes.
Innovation within industry silos (see SDG 9)
Ineffective environmental management (see SDG 14)
Hidden data and information (see SDG 14)
Geopolitical emphasis on expansion (see SDG 16)
|
Global collaboration. The common need for technological
innovations, for integrated monitoring, and the recognition that
offshore developments have the potential to address multiple SDGs foster
global collaborations. Cooperation and knowledge sharing between
land-based, coastal and offshore industries allows shared learning and
the implementation of effective governance structures. Societal
expectations around the development of new opportunities on the one side
and sustainability, equity and minimisation of footprint on the other
are met.
Shared investments and technologies (see SDG 9)
Effective environmental management (see SDG 14)
Transparent data and information (see SDG 14)
Geopolitical emphasis on sustainability (see SDG 16)
|