Greening the Blue Economy: A Transdisciplinary Analysis

Abstract

A healthy ocean generates oxygen and precipitation to support all life on earth, even as it generates trillions of US dollars in global economic activity. The ocean economy is commonly defined as all economic activities related to the ocean, including activities that are harmful to the ocean and the life within. The subset of economic activities that are actively good for the ocean is the foundation of the sustainable blue economy. Incorporating sustainability actions into the maritime transportation sector is necessary to preserve the life support system, restore abundance in our global ocean, and help nations achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, especially SDG 14, Life Below Water. Achieving these and climate change mitigation goals requires transdisciplinary approaches—integrated actions across disciplines, sectors that transform every element of maritime transportation. Such actions include standardizing inspection and enforcement, promoting solutions to reduce greenhouse gases, designing and building greener ships, treating ballast water with low (or no) impact technology, installing safer onboard water treatment systems, greening port facilities, improving ship safety and emergency response capacity, making shipping quieter so the fish can think, operating to avoid whale strikes, and expanding maritime transportation sector engagement in oceanic data collection and monitoring. Some of these actions are already under way. Others are still in need of design and implementation. Together they form the basis for the sustainable blue economy that should define the future human relationship with the ocean.