OCEAN LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO INFORM SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR SELECT MARINE-BASED INDUSTRIES

The report identifies a significant gap in industry-specific, science-based targets for ocean health, noting that most existing frameworks focus on 'avoidance' and 'reduction' while neglecting restoration and regeneration. Through an analysis of 25 frameworks, it highlights that sector-specific pressures—such as land reclamation in coastal development and ship strikes in shipping—are largely unaddressed. The document recommends that SBTN focus on three pillars: Capabilities (standardizing pressure measurement), Collaboration (aligning with TNFD and EU CSRD), and Communication (providing tailored toolkits). It emphasizes the need for quantitative, time-bound KPIs to replace binary assessments and calls for the integration of socio-economic factors, including Indigenous rights and community resilience, into marine conservation strategies.

• There is a critical shortage of industry-specific targets for ocean health, with many critical pressures such as ship strikes and coastal alteration remaining largely unaddressed by corporations.
• Existing frameworks are heavily skewed toward early-stage mitigation; over 70% address avoidance and reduction, but restoration, regeneration, and transformation are frequently overlooked.
• A lack of quantitative, science-backed metrics persists, as fewer than 50% of analyzed frameworks offer measurable KPIs, and only 28% provide KPIs specific to ocean health.
• The marine renewables sector is growing rapidly, with projections of 570 GW by 2040, but faces barriers including long-term investment uncertainty and a lack of standardized metrics to justify conservation spending.
• The shipping industry is globally regulated by the IMO, yet cumulative impacts such as underwater noise pollution and the disruption of migratory routes are not adequately addressed by a unifying regulatory framework.
• Coastal tourism is highly dependent on nature, with coral reefs alone generating $11.5 billion annually, yet the sector struggles with fragmented governance and a lack of high-resolution localized data.
• Coastal development, particularly port expansion driven by initiatives like China's Maritime Silk Road, causes significant habitat disruption through dredging and land reclamation, which are not addressed by any of the 25 studied frameworks.
• Socio-economic considerations are underrepresented, with only 64% of frameworks addressing social factors and only 20% covering the 'Resilience' parameter for ecosystems and communities.
• Regulatory mandates for ocean reporting are extremely limited globally, with the EU's ESRS being a rare exception to the prevailing trend of voluntary adoption.

APA

WWF International (2024). OCEAN LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO INFORM SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR SELECT MARINE-BASED INDUSTRIES. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1138/5vlryb9cn8_WWF_Ocean_Landscape_Analysis_2024_2.1pdf.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. OCEAN LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO INFORM SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR SELECT MARINE-BASED INDUSTRIES. 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1138/5vlryb9cn8_WWF_Ocean_Landscape_Analysis_2024_2.1pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=OCEAN LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO INFORM SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR SELECT MARINE-BASED INDUSTRIES |date=November 2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1138/5vlryb9cn8_WWF_Ocean_Landscape_Analysis_2024_2.1pdf.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2024ocean, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{OCEAN LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS TO INFORM SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR SELECT MARINE-BASED INDUSTRIES}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1138/5vlryb9cn8_WWF_Ocean_Landscape_Analysis_2024_2.1pdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }