Deep Dives
Thought-provoking research providing extensive learning opportunities
UNEP FI
The Rising Tide report maps the current state of ocean finance revealing trends in lending, underwriting and investment activities which impact the ocean.
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The Circulate Initiative Plastics & Pollution
As more companies and governments make commitments to address plastic pollution, several plastic offset claims and credit schemes have emerged.
We reviewed the current landscape of standards, certifications and credit programs to assess the strengths and weaknesses of current programs and whether they are equipped to help buyers meet their impact objectives.
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Vanessa Fajans-Turner Plastics & Pollution
Plastics are the most common form of marine debris. They originate with a variety of land and ocean-based sources across industries; enter the water in many ways; and negatively impact the ocean and Great Lakes. Once in the water, plastic debris never fully biodegrades.
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President Joseph R. Biden Jr., The White House Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports Tourism
The United States and the world face a profound climate crisis. We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents.
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Manish Bapna, et al., Global Commission on Adaptation / World Resources Institute Energy Solutions
The Global Commission on Adaptation's landmark report, Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience, puts forward a bold vision for how to transform key systems to be more resilient and productive. Report authors found that adaptation can produce significant economic returns — from 2:1 to 10:1 — as well as numerous social and environmental benefits.
The report, co-authored by WRI, laid the foundation for the Commission's Year of Action and many of the announcements made at the Climate Adaptation Summit.
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NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
See how NOAA data, tools, services, and partnerships are powering the American Blue Economy in the NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan for 2021-2025.
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Frith Dunkley & Jean-Luc Solandt, Marine Conservation Society Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution
The study examined fishing effort in all Marine Protected Areas (Special Areas of Conservation, Marine Conservation Zones and nature conservation Marine Protected Areas, hereafter collectively referred to as MPAs) in UK offshore waters (beyond 12 nautical miles) designated to protect the seabed, and the implications for biodiversity recovery and carbon storage.
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Zongguo W. et al., Nature Communications Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports
Since the late 1990s, the trend of plastic waste shipment from developed to developing countries has been increasing. In 2017, China announced an unprecedented ban on its import of most plastic waste, resulting in a sharp decline in global plastic waste trade flow and changes in the treatment structure of countries, whose impacts on global environmental sustainability are enormous but yet unexamined.
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The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports Tourism
We have a collective opportunity and responsibility to protect and restore the health of our ocean, and build a sustainable ocean economy that can provide food, empower coastal communities, power our cities, transport our people and goods and provide innovative solutions to global challenges.
Read more → (28 minute read)
Anna Sanchez-Vidal et al., Scientific Reports, Nature Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution
There is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is known on the natural trapping processes leading to such landwards return.
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Virdin, J. et al., Science Advances
Most of the revenues extracted from use of the world’s oceans is concentrated among 100 transnational corporations, which have been identified for the first time by researchers at Duke University and the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University.
Dubbed the “Ocean 100,” these “ocean economy” companies collectively generated $1.1 trillion in revenues in 2018, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
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Joywin Mathew, DLA Piper
The annual economic value generated by our oceans is approximately USSD3 trillion, making the ocean economy, the fifth largest economy globally. However, the health of our oceans has deteriorated drastically from overfishing, marine littering, the effects of climate change and the rapid increase in the intensity and diversity in the ways we use our oceans.
The financial sector has a key role to play in supporting ocean sustainability and delivering transformative change to ocean economies.
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P.T. Harris et al., Science of the Total Environment - Elsevier Plastics & Pollution
Marine litter is a global problem which poses an increasing threat to ecosystem services, human health, safety and sustainable livelihoods. In order to better plan plastic pollution monitoring and clean-up activities, and to develop policies and programmes to deter and mitigate plastic pollution, information is urgently needed on the dif-ferent types of coastal ecosystem that are impacted by land-sourced plastic inputs, especially those located inproximity to river mouths where plastic waste is discharged into the ocean.
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Peter S. Ross, et al., Nature Plastics & Pollution
Microplastics are increasingly recognized as ubiquitous global contaminants, but questions linger regarding their source, transport and fate. We document the widespread distribution of microplastics in near-surface seawater from 71 stations across the European and North American Arctic - including the North Pole.
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Dr. Alvar Carranza and Dr. Philine S.E. zu Ermgassen Fisheries & Aquaculture
RSM studies can benefit marine shellfish farming and biodiversity across genetic, species-population, community-ecosystem and landscape levels.
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Jacob Corvidae et al., World Economic Forum Energy Solutions
Cities cover 3% of the earth’s land surface yet they create more than 70% of all carbon emissions. To keep global temperature increases to 1.5°C or below, cities have to achieve net-zero. This report provides a global framework and recommends an integrated energy approach, defined as “systemic efficiency”, as a solution to the current environmental, economic, health and social crises.
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Marine Stewardship Council Fisheries & Aquaculture
Fisheries across the globe are already demonstrating that fishing sustainably is not only achievable but more productive too, contributing to a food-secure future.
To accelerate this change, industry, retailers, governments and consumers need to prioritise and support sustainably sourced seafood.
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The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ Plastics & Pollution
“Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution” presents a first-of-its-kind model of the global plastics system. It is an evidence-based roadmap that describes how to radically reduce ocean plastic pollution by 2040 and that shows there is a comprehensive, integrated, and economically attractive pathway to greatly reduce plastic waste entering our ocean.
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Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission/ UNESCO
On 5 December 2017, the United Nations declared that a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development would be held from 2021 to 2030. The Ocean Decade provides a common framework to ensure that ocean science can fully support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Ocean Decade provides a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to create a new foundation across the science-policy interface to strengthen the management of our oceans and coasts for the benefit of humanity.
Read more → (13 minute read)
Northrop, E. et al., High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy / World Resources Institute
This new Ocean Panel-commissioned report, ‘A Sustainable & Equitable Blue Recovery to the COVID-19 Crisis’, offers a timely and practical roadmap featuring five priority blue stimulus opportunities that are ripe for immediate investment of stimulus funding.
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