Cartagena Convention Pre-COP, June 21-25

FROM GREEN DEAL TO SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY

AN EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

Bogdan STEFANESCUTeam Leader Green EconomyEU Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUMbogdan.stefanescu@eeas.europa.eu

Blue Economy?

1) Integrated Approach:

2) Clear definitions:“The Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health”World Bank 2017, Report on The Potential of Blue Economy

Coloured Economies…

… a rather confusing system

Unless:

The need for a Green Deal

GREEN DEAL

STATISTICS

VISIBLE CHANGES

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

CONSENSUS

SUPPORT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

STRONG POLITICAL WILL

ECONOMIC LOSSES

Carbon Neutrality

Decoupling economic growth

from resource use

Conserve and enhance natural

capital

Etc.

“This generation’s defining task”

The Green Deal Integrated Approach

ACTION PLAN

INVESTMENT PLAN

JUST TRANSITION MECHANISM

Green Deal: First Steps

01/12/2019 31/07/202101/01/2020 01/01/2021

14/01/2020EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL INVESTMENT PLAN

JUST TRANSITION MECHANISM

11/12/2019EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL

05/03/2020EUROPEAN CLIMATE LAW

11/03/2020CIRCULAR ECONOMY ACTION PLAN

20/05/2020EU BIODIVERSITY STRATEGYFARM TO FORK STRATEGY

19/11/2020OFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY

24/02/2021NEW EU STRATEGY ON ADAPTATION

TO CLIMATE CHANGE

12/05/2021ZERO POLLUTION

ACTION PLAN

17/05/2021SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY

ACTION PLAN

EUROPEAN GREEN DEALINVESTMENT PLAN

FINANCING ENABLING

PRACTICAL SUPPORT/ TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

JUST TRANSITIONMECHANISM

Just Transition

Fund

Just Transition Scheme –InvestEU

7.5 bn

45 bn

Public Sector Loan Facility

(EIB)

25-30 bn

Translating Blue Economy in Facts & Figures

Harnessing offshore renewable energy

Blue economy in the EUCircular EconomyEU Action Plan on Zero Pollution tackles pollution from plastic, nutrients and contaminants, and underwater noise

BiodiversityIncrease the total surface of marine protected areas from 11% today to

Climate AdaptationDeveloping green infrastructure in coastal area, nature based solutions, protecting coastline, adapting landscape

Sustainable food systemsRequires responsible fishing, sustainable aquaculture and new sources for food and feed (e.g. algae production)

The COVID19 impact on Blue Economy (The EU Blue Economy Report 2021)

From “Blue Growth” to “Sustainable Blue Economy”

• Applies the principles of the Green Deal to the Blue Economy

• Calls on maritime players to base their activities on the responsible use of natural resources, on decarbonisation and on circular economy concepts

• Sets out a detailed agenda for greening the blue economy, underpinned by international ocean governance

• Facilitates coexistence and synergies of economic activities in the maritime space through Maritime Spatial Planning, without damaging the environment

• Proposes a series of actions to boost investment in research, skills and innovation, and mobilises financing opportunities under the new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and other EU Programmes.

EU Communication on Sustainable Blue Economy

Transforming the Blue Economy Value Chains1. Achieving the objectives of climate neutrality

and zero pollution

2. Circular Economy and preventing waste

3. Biodiversity and investing in nature

4. Coastal Resilience

5. Responsible Food Systems

Supporting the Development of a Sustainable Blue Economy

1. OCEAN KNOWLEDGE

2. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

3. BLUE SKILLS AND JOBS

4. INVESTMENT

Creating conditions for sustainable governance

1. MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING

2. CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN OCEAN LITERACY

3. SEA BASINS, REGIONAL COOPERATION, COASTAL REGIONS

4. MARITIME SECURITY

5. PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY ABROAD

• A Strategy on Blue Economy is key to carbon neutrality and other commitments under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda…

• But this strategy has to be built in a larger context and in an integrated approach, taking into account all economic aspects

• A Strategy on Blue Economy for Large Ocean States will need to take into account the transformation potential, by linking it to:

Research and Innovation,

Finance for investment and

Mechanisms for ensuring social and economic equity

TAKE AWAYS

• EU will continue to have a strong position on a number of aspects of the Blue Economy, both in multilateral and bilateral relations:

Promoting environmental action and rule of law

Push for science-based management of ocean natural resources, including fisheries

Promoting sustainable fishing in regional fisheries management organisations, fight illegal fishing and combat fraud in seafood products

Advocate that marine minerals in the international seabed area cannot be exploited before the effects of deep-sea mining on the marine environment, biodiversity and human activities have been sufficiently researched, the risks are understood and technologies and operational practices are able to demonstrate no serious harm to the environment.

EU for Blue Economy in the Caribbean

• EU Development Cooperation Programme 2021-2027

• One of the EU-Caribbean Partnerships for cooperation will be the Partnership for a Caribbean Green Deal

• Among the priorities defined together with the partner countries and regional organisations, we count: biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, waste management and circular economy, and climate change adaptation

• The EU is ready to support the transition to a sustainable blue economy:

• With expertise and lessons learned from the European experience• With finance through grants, loans, blending operations, investment guarantees• Through various programmes requested by the countries within our bilateral or

regional cooperation

EU and the Blue Economy in the Caribbean

MERCI!

¡GRACIAS!

THANK YOU!

DANK JE WEL!