Martin Koehring - Global Sustainability and Ocean Expert

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. The World Ocean Initiative's coverage includes research on the value that can be extracted from plastic waste, an article exploring what’s in our plastic waste, and summary articles of recent webinars and events.

The article I co-wrote with Karin Kemper, global director for Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank, and Ambassador Peter Thomson, the UN's special envoy for the ocean, has been published in the Ocean Yearbook. It is entitled "The Post-COVID-19 Ocean Economy: Building Back Bluer".

To find out more about how G20 countries are performing on the latest Food Sustainability Index, read a new report and watch the launch webinar that I moderated.

The first phase of a new research project that I am directing, on "Rethinking plastics in a circular economy", sponsored by Dow, has just been released. There is significant value to extract from plastic waste. Scaling up advanced chemical recycling technologies could help close the loop and create a circular system for plastic waste.

On July 7th I moderated a World Ocean Summit Insight Hour on how business can be a key driver behind restoring the regenerative capacity of critical ecosystems. I was joined by leading scientists, conservationists and executives to discuss key solutions to restore ocean health and create both socio-economic and ecological value.

Happy to announce the launch of a new Economist Intelligence Unit research project that I led, on how environmental, governance and social factors are shaping our future. The research is based on a survey of 450 institutional investors. It explores the ongoing shift of ESG from risk to opportunity.

I am delighted to announce the launch of a new project by The Economist Intelligence Unit that I led, Getting to Net-Zero, sponsored by HSBC. To assess the progress of companies towards net-zero emissions, we conducted a survey of 500 global business leaders and convened an advisory board of experts.

It's day three of The Economist Group's Sustainability Week US! I am moderating a panel discussion on "Protecting and fostering the natural environment" from 1.15pm EDT, with National Park Foundation's president and chief executive Will Shafroth; Nestlé's head of sustainable sourcing Emily Johannes; and Rainforest Alliance's director of global policy and coalitions Jeffrey Milder.

On June 8th I gave an inspirational talk to journalists and communicators as part of the World Water Week Communications Initiative. The aim was to share my experiences as head of the World Ocean Initiative on how to communicate science and complex issues.

Happy World Ocean Day! The health of the ocean continues to deteriorate, but exciting ideas and solutions highlighted at the 8th annual World Ocean Summit Virtual Week could accelerate the shift towards a sustainable ocean economy. We have produced a summary report with outlook for the ocean economy.

June 8th marks World Ocean Day! The UN launched its second-ever fully digital edition of its event celebrating the 2021 theme, The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods. I moderated a panel on “Blue Economy and Private-Sector Impact”.

A new book for which I wrote the foreword, Preparing a Workforce for the New Blue Economy: People, Products and Policies, has been published by Elsevier. The book was edited by Rick Spinrad, the new Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under President Biden, and Liesl Hotaling, president of Eidos Education.

World Biodiversity Day is celebrated every year in late May to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. To honour this occasion the World Ocean Initiative shines a light on one of the planet’s greatest survivors: the horseshoe crab.

Earth Day, celebrated every year on April 22nd, is dedicated to highlighting the importance of action to protect and restore ecosystems around the world. Ocean ecosystems are vital for a thriving planet. Governments and private-sector investors are increasingly keen to invest in seagrass, mangroves and other important ocean ecosystems that reduce and store CO2 emissions.

I will be a faculty member for the Food & Sustainability Certificate Programme provided by the European Institute for Innovation and Sustainability and starting in May 2021.

Our World Ocean Summit Virtual Week concluded successfully last week. We welcomed more than 8,500 registered participants and more than 6,000 active users on our virtual platform during the week. Here I summarise some key conclusions and observations, from the importance of ocean literacy and nature-based solutions to the need for collaboration and investable innovations.

On November 26th 2020 I presented The Economist Intelligence Unit's Food Sustainability Index as part of a panel discussion on the science of characterising and assessing the transition towards more sustainable food systems.

October 22nd marked World Energy Day. The quest for energy has always been a balancing act between the benefits and costs of creation or extraction, storage, transportation and waste disposal. As populations have grown, humans have searched for new energy sources. Wave, tidal and wind energy are now part of the green energy mix.

In a conversation for Therma's Point 01 podcast I spoke with co-founder Aaron Cohen about how reinvigorating the ocean economy will lead to sustained and equitable economic growth. 

On September 10th I presented the Food Sustainability Index during a webinar on teaching the complexity of food sustainability. The webinar explored how to introduce the FSI EDU toolkit in university curricula.