Martin Koehring 🌏 Global Blue Economy and Sustainability Expert | Ocean Futurist | Charity Board Trustee | TEDx Speaker

The Economist Group has had its emissions-reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Our goal is to cut our greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 25% by 2025.

Today is World EV Day, celebrating sustainable e-mobility! The UK is preparing for the ban of new sales of petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030. I am the project director of the rEV Index, produced by The Economist Group and sponsored by bp, exploring how we can best prepare ourselves for the transition.

Between August 27th 2021 and September 3rd 2021 I took part in the Climate Opportunity Leaders Retreat at European Forum Alpbach. As part of my participation, I moderated an important session on "Greening the Blue Economy – Linking Ocean Health and Wealth".

It's World Water Week this week, organised by SIWI - Stockholm International Water Institute. The Economist Group's World Ocean Initiative is an official outreach partner of the week. I am participating in today's Accelerator on Communication and Behaviour Change, aimed at highlighting levers that can speed up and intensify our impact.

I moderated this World Ocean Summit Insight Hour, which examined how to increase sustainability in aquaculture supply chains. It will highlight the role of retailers in influencing best-practice operations throughout the value chain. Speakers will identify key steps for seafood processors, fish farmers, feed suppliers and technology developers as they scale production.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food-production sector globally and is vital for feeding our growing population. But there are challenges facing the industry. More than half of consumers do not trust seafood, with one in five of all fish sold mislabelled. Read an overview of recent coverage on sustainable aquaculture from the World Ocean Initiative.

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.