2021 was a big year for the ocean. There is no doubt that action to build a sustainable ocean economy will continue to accelerate in 2022. Here's a selection of year-end highlights from the World Ocean Initiative.

It's the fifth and final day of Economist Impact's World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific. Join us for today's great sessions. I will be moderating two plenary panel discussions today, on: 1) Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—new challenges, new opportunities, and 2) Harnessing the power of seaweed.

I moderated a World Ocean Initiative Insight Hour on "Enhancing stewardship for the safe, sustainable use of the ocean", sponsored by the Lloyd's Register Foundation.

COP26 may not have delivered a clear pathway towards keeping “1.5 alive,” but nature was at the forefront of high-level climate negotiations like never before. Read more for an overview of recent ocean-climate coverage on the World Ocean Initiative.

I spoke at the World Biodiversity Summit, a COP26 side event, in Glasgow. It is crucial not to neglect the role of biodiversity in the global climate conversations. Organised by the World Climate Foundation, the event featured a session on "Life Below Water - Harnessing The Blue Economy through Investment & Innovation".

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".

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".

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.

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.

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. 

As part of the Blue Recovery Series, the World Ocean Initiative hosted a webinar on the roles of science, innovation and investment in establishing a sustainable ocean economy in the post-coronavirus period.

On 19 August I spoke about the economics of coral reef ecosystems at an Ocean Exchange webinar. It was great to learn from Sam Teicher of Coral Vita about his company's coral reef restoration projects.

As countries consider how to rebuild their economies after the covid-19 pandemic while also tackling the climate crisis, an immense arena of opportunity lies before them—one where every US$1 invested could yield at least US$5 in returns: the world ocean.

Between 24 and 26 July 2020 I presented about ocean sustainability at the 15th Annual Green Economics Institute Conference.