Preview of results from a book on valuing the oceans and the economic consequences of action or inaction

The document identifies six primary threats to the ocean: acidification, warming, hypoxia, sea level rise, pollution, and overuse of resources. It argues that these stressors often act synergistically, increasing the risk of catastrophic tipping points. The authors propose a shift from traditional cost-benefit analysis to an insurance-based risk model to better account for high-impact, low-probability events. Economically, the text estimates that the cost of damage under a high-emission scenario could reach USD 1,980 billion by 2100, suggesting that rapid carbon abatement could save over a trillion dollars per year by the end of the century. The Pacific Ocean is presented as a critical case study for coordinated regional action.

• The ocean has absorbed 25-30 percent of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and 80 percent of added heat over the last 200 years, leading to a 30 percent increase in mean surface ocean acidity since the industrial revolution.
• Ocean acidification is occurring at a rate approximately 10 times faster than any event in the last 65 million years, with potential acidity increases of 150-200 percent by 2100 if current emission rates continue.
• Hypoxia is accelerating rapidly, with over 500 known 'dead zones' globally; reactive nitrogen entering the ocean is projected to grow by 50 percent by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario.
• Global mean sea level has risen by about 25cm since the 1800s, with projections for 2100 ranging from 0.2 to 2 metres, posing an existential threat to small island developing states (SIDS).
• The economic cost of ocean damage under a high-emission scenario is estimated at USD 1,980 billion by 2100 (0.37 percent of global GDP), while the avoidable damage through rapid abatement is estimated at over USD 1 trillion per year by 2100.
• Marine ecosystems are facing multiple stressors that can act synergistically, with the risk of such responses doubling when three or more stressors intersect.
• The Pacific Ocean is a critical region as it contains half of the world's ocean area and generates 60 percent of global fishing revenues, yet it faces severe threats from overfishing and climate-driven species distribution shifts.

APA

Noone, K., Sumaila, R., & Díaz, R. J. (n.d.). Preview of results from a book on valuing the oceans and the economic consequences of action or inaction. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Preview-ValuingTheOcean-DraftExecutiveSummary.pdf

Chicago

Noone, Kevin, Rashid Sumaila, and Robert J Díaz. Preview of results from a book on valuing the oceans and the economic consequences of action or inaction. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Preview-ValuingTheOcean-DraftExecutiveSummary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Noone |first1=Kevin |last2=Sumaila |first2=Rashid |last3=Díaz |first3=Robert J |title=Preview of results from a book on valuing the oceans and the economic consequences of action or inaction |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Preview-ValuingTheOcean-DraftExecutiveSummary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{noonendpreview, author = {Noone, Kevin and Sumaila, Rashid and Díaz, Robert J}, title = {{Preview of results from a book on valuing the oceans and the economic consequences of action or inaction}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-Preview-ValuingTheOcean-DraftExecutiveSummary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }