Panel Session one - What do we need from European seas by 2030, and are we asking too much?

As part of this panel session, we were introduced to the thought-provoking term, ‘Degrowth’, highlighting the finite dimension of the Planet’s and oceans’ resources, as well as the limit of ecosystems. All panellists agreed on common challenges for communities to adapt to upcoming changes, especially climate change. The importance of data collection and transparent knowledge to support decision-making, the involvement of local stakeholders in the discussions and collaboration between stakeholders to identify trades-off, were part of the key take-aways of this session.

If you missed this panel session, or would like the opportunity to listen again, a recording of this panel session is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmLCSRXCf3g

Panel Session two – What does a fossil fuel free sustainable blue economy look like and how can we as a community support the transition?

Another new concept was introduced during this panel session, ‘Blue Doughnut Economics’. Do we need to reconsider the status quo? This is a question that was widely discussed during this session by our panellists who questioned the way our maritime economies currently work. Key enablers to support the shift to a fossil-fuel free blue economy were mentioned, such as deploying new technologies, supporting funding of initiatives and creation of holistic and synergistic approaches between sectors for a fair transition.

If you missed this panel session, or would like the opportunity to listen again, a recording of this panel session is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th_TttPAHOE