RSS 1.0
AquaDocs is migrating to a new hosting platform. Please do not submit new items. Thank you for your patience.
Challenge 5 - Activities
Browse by
Recent Submissions
-
European offshore renewable energy: Towards a sustainable futureThe global economic and geopolitical situations in 2022, including the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing fuel prices, and the war in Ukraine leading to questions of energy security, have further increased the impetus on governments to accelerate the move away from a reliance on oil and gas as energy sources. Offshore renewable energy sources should play a key role in that move. In light of these geo-political, economic, and environmental drivers, this Future Science Brief outlines the state-of-the-art in knowledge on offshore renewable energy (ORE). It also highlights key research needs to help us fully understand the implications of such an energy transition.
-
Blue Carbon: Challenges and opportunities to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crisesClimate change and biodiversity loss are two of humanity’s greatest challenges. Blue carbon, i.e. the carbon captured and stored by marine living organisms and ecosystems, has the potential to help mitigate both challenges, because marine ecosystems that are important for sequestering carbon often also harbour rich biodiversity. Expanding and protecting Blue Carbon ecosystems has therefore been proposed as a Nature-based Solution to complement climate change mitigation efforts on land and to protect and restore marine biodiversity. In addition, securing and rebuilding Blue Carbon ecosystems can stabilise livelihoods, protect coasts, and support other societal needs such as food provision from the Ocean. However, the effectiveness of Blue Carbon ecosystems as a Nature-based Solution depends on the available space and ecosystem productivity, which can be impacted by climate change. Moreover, the overall carbon sequestration potential of Blue Carbon ecosystems is low and their contribution to climate stabilisation will only be significant once greenhouse gas emissions are strongly limited. Therefore, a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming close to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is essential to maintain the health and long-term functionality of Blue Carbon ecosystems as a Nature-based Solution. This document describes examples and benefits of Blue Carbon ecosystems, and discusses uncertainties and challenges for the conservation and restoration of Blue Carbon ecosystems as a climate change solution. It also highlights the wider role of the Ocean in mitigating climate change through the carbon cycle, and closes with key research and management recommendations.
-
Executive Summary of "Building the Blue Innovation Pipeline: Lessons Learned from the United States and Sweden".While there are many exciting innovations taking place in the “blue” (water-based) economy, the findings of this study indicate that more investment in research and development (R&D) is economically justified. In fact, blue R&D is underfunded by at least 112% compared to worldwide benchmarks. Even if an additional $30-50B (billion) in global funding for R&D reduced the future risks of water environments and increased the economic rewards of water-based industries by just 10%, this would still deliver $183B worth of economic benefit and enhanced environmental protection.
-
Building the Blue Innovation Pipeline: Lessons Learned from the United States and Sweden.While there are many exciting innovations taking place in the “blue” (water-based) economy, the findings of this study indicate that more investment in research and development (R&D) is economically justified. In fact, blue R&D is underfunded by at least 112% compared to worldwide benchmarks. Even if an additional $30-50B (billion) in global funding for R&D reduced the future risks of water environments and increased the economic rewards of water-based industries by just 10%, this would still deliver $183B worth of economic benefit and enhanced environmental protection.
