Blue Economy
The concept of the ‘Blue’ Economy (or Blue Growth) has emerged over the last decade as an increasingly important new direction for the global economy. The Blue Economy refers to an ocean based economic model which employs sustainable technologies and infrastructure to secure growth whilst also protecting our oceans. The Blue Economy is promoted as a model to improve the environmental performance of existing ‘traditional’ offshore activities such as oil and gas development, ports, shipping, fisheries, marine tourism and other marine industries as well as a tool through which to encourage emerging industries of aquaculture, carbon sequestration (or blue carbon) and renewable energy production, such as wind, wave and tidal energy. However, the extent to which environmental considerations and economic growth are integrated in decision making and how trade-offs between these are made is not clear. In addition, while it is recognised that social dimensions are a core component of ecological sustainable development, these social dimensions are often neglected within the literature associated with the Blue Economy. In order for the Blue Economy to be an effective and transformative new approach to oceans governance it will need to be;
- socially supportive, or able to provide tangible and equitable benefits to society, including social wellbeing, environmental protection and economic welfare and;
- socially supported, that is the concept of the Blue Economy, and it’s component sectors, industries and businesses will need to obtain and maintain a ‘social license to operate’ and overcome any inherent resistance to change from communities, workers and the business community.
This cluster will aim to bring together the knowledge of scholars working across the many different sectors within the Blue Economy to explore where the social sciences can add value to Blue Economy discourse and knowledge development. In particular it will explore ways in which social sciences can be active within the ‘Blue Economy’ model as it is operationalized and implemented in practice. It will also examine the governance arrangements which will be required to support this. There are many overlaps with other clusters, including e.g. Aquaculture, Energy, Fisheries, Recreation and Tourism, Shipping, but also Space and Ecosystem Based Managment and Sustainable Development Goals for example. If you’d like to join the cluster, please click here to become a member. This will allow you to post information on the page and give you the opportunity to receive information and updates via the Oceans Taskforce listserve.
While we do not have funding ourselves, we do hope to foster joint projects via Working Groups, which would bring together cluster members to write grant proposals, put together collected volumes/special issues, or develop webinars, workshops, syllabi, or similar products. All projects should focus on the cluster topic and fit within the ESG Science Plan (http://www.earthsystemgovernance.org/research-agenda/). Working group members should come from more than one institution and should have sufficient expertise to accomplish project goals. Forming a working group can help you to expand your professional network. It will also provide mentoring from the cluster leaders and access to logistical support like web-conferencing from ESG headquarters. To submit a Working Group proposal, please fill out this form and send it to the cluster leader(s) listed below. If you’d like to propose a Working Group that fits in more than one cluster, please send it to the leaders of each cluster in a single e-mail. Scroll down for descriptions of active Working Groups.
Cluster Leader:
Michelle Voyer
University of Woollongong, Australia
mvoyer@uow.edu.au
Judith van Leeuwen
Wageningen University, Netherlands
judith.vanleeuwen@wur.nl
Contents
Active Working Groups:
Co-Leads: Michelle Voyer (University of Wollongong) and Judith van Leeuwen (Wageningen University)
Products: an ESG conference panel with the possibility for feeding the conference papers into a special issue
Description: A priority cluster activity will be to organize a panel at the ESG conference in November 2018 to explore how different social scientific perspectives can contribute towards implementing sustainable Blue Growth. Papers might explore how a specific theoretical perspective shed light on integrating social, environmental and economic considerations at multiple scales (e.g. global, national or community levels) and the development of governance arrangements and mechanisms that facilitate implementing sustainable Blue Growth. Papers may also explore which social scientific issues emerge in the implementation of Blue Growth within particular regions or related to a specific sector. Papers on a more theoretical or reflexive level can explore critically to what extent Blue Growth changes or reproduces dominant discourses and power relations. The aim is to draw out a social scientific research agenda that can guide this cluster as well as forms the basis for a special issue on this topic.
Participants: we are currently soliciting interest for joining this working group and panel at the ESG conference in November 2018. Please email Michelle Voyer at mvoyer@uow.edu.au or Judith van Leeuwen at judith.vanleeuwen@wur.nl to express your interest.
Co-Leads and participants: Michelle Voyer (University of Wollongong) and Judith van Leeuwen (Wageningen University)
Products: A workshop, survey and a joint paper
Description: This project began just before the taskforce was created. In fact, it was one of several projects that catalyzed our decision to foster a community around the issues of oceans governance. The project started with an informal meeting at the People and the Sea IX: Dealing with Maritime Mobilities Conference of the Centre for Maritime Studies in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) in July 2017.
The social and political acceptability of ocean based industries, sometimes known as ‘social license to operate’, will play a fundamental role in securing the future potential of ocean sectors and the broader ‘Blue Economy’. Maintaining a social license is a challenge that is experienced differentially across the various industries engaged in the Blue Economy, yet the loss of social license in one sector may have ramifications for all. In particular, the loss of sectoral social license may impact the level of societal trust in the broader concept of a Blue Economy and lead to concerns about ‘blue-washing’. In addition, while social license challenges may be different across sectors, there are likely to be significant benefits in sharing lessons learnt – including innovative approaches to building community trust and support.
This working group organized a workshop during the World Ocean Council Sustainable Oceans Summit in Halifax, Nov 29-Dec1. During the workshop five practitioners active in shipping, oil and gas industry, renewable energy, deep sea mining and fisheries reflected on their experiences regarding social license to operate issues regarding these economic activities and sectors. After that the issues of 1) who (which communities of stakeholders) expresses concerns related to these economic activities, 2) what kind of concerns are expressed and 3) how do companies or sectors deal with these concerns were discussed in small groups. The results of this workshop as well as an online survey on this topic will be published in a report for the World Ocean Council as well as an academic publication.
Closed to new participants.
- Aquaculture
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Biodiversity (incl. beyond national jurisdiction)
- Ocean Climate Geoengineering Roundtable
- 71 countries are negotiating a new biodiversity treaty. Here’s what you need to know.
- Ocean science and policy
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Article on the BBNJ treaty and Marine Litter
- Budget earmarks $500m to mitigate Great Barrier Reef climate change
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Vacancy: Research Associate – Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG)
- Call for Papers for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Regional Seas Environmental Cooperation Panel at ECPR 2018
- Ocean governance: strengthening the legal framework for conservation of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Blue Economy
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- 2nd Part of the 24th Session of the International Seabed Authority
- Ocean science and policy
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Green Shipping Partnership
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Climate Change
- Ocean Climate Geoengineering Roundtable
- SOLAS Science & Society
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Budget earmarks $500m to mitigate Great Barrier Reef climate change
- Adapting Fisheries and Their Management to Climate Change
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Adaptive Capacity of Small-scale Fisheries: New Publication
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Coastal Communities
- COST OceanGov – Land-Sea Interactions Training School in Constanta
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Budget earmarks $500m to mitigate Great Barrier Reef climate change
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Adaptive Capacity of Small-scale Fisheries: New Publication
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Conflict & Diplomacy
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Call for Papers for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Regional Seas Environmental Cooperation Panel at ECPR 2018
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Energy
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Fisheries
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Adapting Fisheries and Their Management to Climate Change
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Adaptive Capacity of Small-scale Fisheries: New Publication
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Beyond the Tragedy in Global Fisheries
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Marine Mining
- 2nd Part of the 24th Session of the International Seabed Authority
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Vacancy: Research Associate – Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG)
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Ocean Law
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- 2nd Part of the 24th Session of the International Seabed Authority
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Bright lights shining on the horizon for the Brazilian Ocean Economy?
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Call for Papers for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Regional Seas Environmental Cooperation Panel at ECPR 2018
- Call for authors for an edited volume on a Sympathetic Critique of the Law of the Sea
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Polar Oceans
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Pollution (incl. plastics)
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Article on the BBNJ treaty and Marine Litter
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- UNEA-3
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Recreation and Tourism
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Science & Uncertainty
- Ocean Climate Geoengineering Roundtable
- SOLAS Science & Society
- Ocean science and policy
- Survey on influences of global environmental assessments on sustainable ocean development
- Budget earmarks $500m to mitigate Great Barrier Reef climate change
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Global Ocean Science Report – The Current Status of Ocean Science around the World
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Shipping
- Call for abstracts for an ISA panel on Ocean Governance issues
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Green Shipping Partnership
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Space & Ecosystem Based Management (incl. MPAs)
- Great Barrier Reef saw huge losses from 2016 heatwave
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Call for Papers for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Regional Seas Environmental Cooperation Panel at ECPR 2018
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Ocean science and policy
- Survey on influences of global environmental assessments on sustainable ocean development
- Article on the BBNJ treaty and Marine Litter
- Budget earmarks $500m to mitigate Great Barrier Reef climate change
- Adapting Fisheries and Their Management to Climate Change
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Adaptive Capacity of Small-scale Fisheries: New Publication
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Vacancy: Research Associate – Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG)
- Global Ocean Science Report – The Current Status of Ocean Science around the World
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Teaching & Mentorship
- Professorship Opening in Marine Governance at Oldenburg University, Germany
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Capacity building workshop for EU early career marine researchers
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Theory (based on the ESG Science Plan)
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Call for Papers for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Regional Seas Environmental Cooperation Panel at ECPR 2018
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Trade & Globalization
- Call for Panels and Papers: “Ocean And Polar Politics” (EISA)
- Small-Scale Fisheries under Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- European Parliament Resolution on Ocean Governance (16/01/18)
- Earth System Governance Task Force on Ocean Governance
- Uncategorized
- Call for Papers: S.O.S – Science for Ocean Sustainability in the ESG Journal
- Future Earth OCEAN Knowledge Action Network & ECR NoN
- Job Vacancy for Aquaculture Sector Specialist
- New paper in PNAS: Beyond Panaceas in Fisheries Governance (Focus on ITQs)
- ANNOUNCEMENT: São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Ocean Interdisciplinary Research and Governance
- Call for paper abstracts on Earth System Governance for Blue Growth (2018 Utrecht ESG conference)
- A Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment
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