Martin Koehring | Development Finance & Sustainable Finance

Building a sustainable ocean economy requires all hands on deck. Read more for an overview of recent coverage and events on blue innovation and tech by the World Ocean Initiative.

This week I will be joining 6,000+ islanders from around the world at the Island Finance Forum organised by Island Innovation. Following an opening keynote by His Excellency Surangel Whipps Jr, President, Republic of Palau, I will moderate a session on "Building a Blue Future: Harnessing the Hope of the Ocean".

I am delighted to present about "The nuances of net zero and the new EU taxonomy" at the European Broadcasting Union's Sustainability Summit. I will be joined by my colleague Emily Jackson-Kessler, SVP Sustainability, who will speak about The Economist Group's approach to climate risk.

Just 1.2% of seafarers are women. In March we mark International Women’s Day and Gender Equality month as an opportunity to reflect on the deep gender divides and inequalities that exist across ocean industries, while celebrating the (often undervalued) contributions of women towards the burgeoning blue economy.

I moderated five sessions at Economist Impact's Sustainability Week between Monday March 21st and Thursday March 24th, on topics such as investing in nature, the road to nature-positive, and farming for the future. On the in-person day in London on March 22nd I moderated sessions on materials and technology, and measuring the S in ESG.

I presented Economist Impact research on "Decarbonising Technologies for Cities" at the "Making Media Technology Sustainable" event by the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London. The event also featured industry experts from the BBC, Greening of Streaming, Plum Consulting and the DIMPACT Project.

The 2022 World Ocean Summit focused on achieving 2030 goals. 174 speakers engaged the audience with tangible solutions, real-life examples and action-oriented strategies to achieve these goals. We have heard about action beyond ambition, and strategies to achieve commitments.

It’s Day 3 of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Summit! I interviewed Peggy Kalas, director of the High Seas Alliance, on protecting biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Negotiations for a treaty on BBNJ—or high seas treaty—began in 2018 and there is hope that there will be a breakthrough this year.

It’s Day 3 of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Summit! I moderated a plenary panel discussion on using data to drive investment. I was joined by Dag Sletmo, senior vice-president, DNB; Suzanne Johnson, senior advisor ocean, United Nations Global Compact and head of sustainability, Lloyd’s Register Foundation; and Grant Cavanaugh, chief investment officer, Scoot Science.

It’s Day 2 of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Summit! I moderated a plenary panel discussion on high hopes for seaweed. I was joined by Caroline Slootweg, co-founder of Kelp Blue; Bill Collins, chairman of Cascadia Seaweed; and Dodon Yamin, managing director of MARI Oceans Indonesia.

I have been appointed a trustee at the New Economics Foundation, a UK-based think tank focusing on social, economic and environmental justice.

Economist Impact’s World Ocean Summit started today! On Day 1 I moderated a plenary panel discussion on connecting the silos for a healthy ocean. We explored the big picture for ocean regeneration, and how collaboration between government, industry, investors, scientists and NGOs can bring it about.

I will be moderating four sessions and three roundtables at Economist Impact's World Ocean Summit Virtual Week starting tomorrow, March 1st, on great topics such as ocean regeneration, the outlook for seaweed, data for ocean investment, and the prospects for a high seas treaty. The World Ocean Initiative will publish regular updates during the week.

Next week, from March 1st-4th the 9th annual World Ocean Summit Virtual Week will gather more than 150 leading expert speakers, including John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate, and 5,000 attendees to discuss what needs to be done to achieve 2030 targets for the ocean. 

A big talking point in the investment world is the financial resilience of companies with high ESG ratings. I am project director of a new Economist Impact study based on two global surveys—one of asset owners and one of companies—to examine how they can find common purpose in ESG.

Engaging the finance sector in Nature-based Solutions is critical. At the World Ocean Summit we bring together people on these cross-cutting issues to help generate positive impact for people and planet. I recently joined IUCN’s Investing For Ocean Impact podcast to discuss the role of the finance sector in protecting our ocean.

To deliver on global sustainability goals—the theme of this year’s World Ocean Summit—and unlock the true potential of the ocean economy, we need to foster blue skills within and across disciplines. This month we celebrate International Day of Education and what it means for the ocean community.

I am pleased to announce the publication of the latest Food Sustainability Index (FSI), a project that I have directed since 2017. Developed by Economist Impact with the support of the Barilla Foundation, the FSI examines how food systems are performing across three pillars: food loss and waste, sustainable agriculture, and nutritional challenges.

I will moderate a webinar to discuss the results of the Food Sustainability Index (FSI), developed by Economist Impact with the support of the Barilla Foundation. The session will highlight common lessons on how best to tackle key food-systems challenges faced by countries around the world.

I was interviewed by Current± the other day, a news provider that tracks the transition to a decarbonised, digitised and decentralised energy economy. They did a Q&A with me discussing whether the UK is ready for the EV transition. I highlighted the key findings of Economist Impact's rEV Index, supported by bp.