Strengthening the Blue Economy: The Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency

The project aims to dispel the notion that ocean wealth and ocean health are mutually exclusive by providing science-based recommendations and data tools. It is structured around four components: the production of a landmark report on ocean solutions, the creation of 'Blue Papers' providing thematic deep dives, the development of the 'Ocean Watch' open data platform, and a comprehensive knowledge management strategy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project revised its timelines and budget, shifting more resources toward the data platform and knowledge sharing while maintaining the overall budget total of USD 1,980,000. Initial progress includes the completion of four funded Blue Papers and the holding of an inception workshop to define user needs for the Ocean Watch platform.

• The project's primary objective is to encourage at least eight governments and five businesses to adopt recommendations from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Economy (Ocean Panel) to transition to a sustainable ocean economy.
• A sustainable ocean economy is defined as an economic system where public and private sectors implement policies and investments that allow for ocean protection and production simultaneously, focusing on transformations in fisheries, aquaculture, pollutant reduction, coastline resilience, carbon-neutral industries, and port infrastructure.
• Component 1 focuses on the 'Ocean Solutions that Benefit People, Nature and the Economy' report, which provides a roadmap to achieve a sustainable ocean economy by 2050, focusing on ocean wealth, health, equity, knowledge, and finance.
• Component 2 involved the production of 'Blue Papers' to synthesize science and knowledge. While 16 were commissioned in total, this specific grant funded four papers covering ocean energy and mineral resources, the human relationship with the ocean, ocean finance, and coastal development and resilience.
• Component 3 is the development of 'Ocean Watch', an open data platform designed to support national planning entities in integrated and spatial ocean management by providing a united source of data, analyses, and visualisations.
• The project budget was revised during the inception phase to reallocate funds from the report and Blue Papers (which were partially covered by co-funding) toward Ocean Watch and Knowledge Management, though the grand total remains USD 1,980,000.
• The project is supported by significant co-financing, totaling approximately USD 12 million from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, and SIDA.
• An inception workshop held on 20 October 2020 identified critical data needs for the Ocean Watch platform, including the need for cultural indicators, indigenous knowledge, gender disaggregation, and the integration of spatial and non-spatial data.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Strengthening the Blue Economy: The Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2021-04/Inception%20Report-OCT20.pdf?VersionId=ua9k30CzwJHpc3Nwg3P1Aqhx4GwWzTJ3

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Strengthening the Blue Economy: The Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency. n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2021-04/Inception%20Report-OCT20.pdf?VersionId=ua9k30CzwJHpc3Nwg3P1Aqhx4GwWzTJ3.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Strengthening the Blue Economy: The Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2021-04/Inception%20Report-OCT20.pdf?VersionId=ua9k30CzwJHpc3Nwg3P1Aqhx4GwWzTJ3 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendstrengthening, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Strengthening the Blue Economy: The Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2021-04/Inception%20Report-OCT20.pdf?VersionId=ua9k30CzwJHpc3Nwg3P1Aqhx4GwWzTJ3}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }