Martin Koehring - Global Sustainability and Ocean Expert | Charity Board Member | TEDx Speaker | I help create multi-stakeholder partnerships & impactful research on 🌏 Climate 🌏 Nature 🌏 Blue Economy

Innovation is at the heart of building a sustainable ocean economy

The ocean makes a significant and growing contribution to the world economy. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the size of the ocean economy was an estimated $1.5 trillion in 2010, equivalent to around 3% of global GDP. By 2030, the ocean’s contribution is forecast to double in size to $3 trillion (from 2010 levels). Innovation is crucial to both harness the opportunities a sustainable ocean economy can offer and address the risks that ocean degradation poses. Areas of particular promise for innovative solutions include ocean energy, the decarbonisation of shipping, aquaculture, ecosystem restoration and ‘blue carbon’, ocean geoengineering, and blue finance.

Read my full guest article for Innovation News Network.

More posts on the ocean economy:

How to take action against ocean pollution from wastewater and sewageApril 8, 2024
Completed Basecamp course at School of System ChangeMarch 28, 2024
How to invest better in the blue economyMarch 26, 2024
Moderating sessions on value chains at edie 24March 19, 2024
My TEDx talk has been publishedMarch 14, 2024

Tags: aquaculture blue carbon blue finance BlueEconomy energy geoengineering innovation ocean shipping

I’m a global ocean, climate and sustainability expert with 20+ years of experience, including progressively more strategic and leadership responsibilities. My most recent roles include Global Director of Impact at the international sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future, Board Member at the New Economics Foundation (a think tank focusing on social, economic and environmental justice), Head of the World Ocean Initiative and Practice Lead (EMEA) for Sustainability, Climate Change and Natural Resources at Economist Impact (part of The Economist Group). My previous roles at The Economist Group include managing editor, global health lead and Europe editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit. I love to work with organisations that build a just, resilient and regenerative future for people and planet.

Over the years I have directed many sustainability-related research and thought-leadership projects with partners in business, government, academia and civil society, in areas such as food sustainability, a just energy transition and the role of business in society. I was also the editorial lead of the award-winning Sustainability Project.

As part of my wider engagement on sustainability, I am a trustee of the New Economics Foundation (a think tank focusing on social, economic and environmental justice). I sit on the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Inclusive Economies Advisory Group and the Sustainable Brands Turkey Global Advisory Board. I have also been a member of the Advisory Committee for the UN Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook for Business, a senior rapporteur at World Water Week, a faculty member in the Food & Sustainability Certificate Program provided by the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability and a judge at the Reuters Events Responsible Business Awards.

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