Earth:Blue economy

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Short description: Economy based on exploitation and preservation of the marine environment

Ship with cranes
Maritime transport is a part of the blue economy.
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In economics, blue economy refers to the economic exploitation of aquatic ecosystems such as oceans, lakes, and rivers, and their coasts.[1] Similarly to green economy, which focuses mostly on land-based activities, blue economy emphasises sustainability in the use of natural resources. Other concepts that refer to partly overlapping areas but usually lack the aspects of sustainability include ocean economy, marine economy, coastal economy, and maritime economy.[2][3]

The interpretations of what constitutes the blue economy vary among organizations. However, the term is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources and ocean development. This can include a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism,[4] or other traditional uses, to more emergent activities such as coastal renewable energy, marine ecosystem services (i.e. blue carbon), seabed mining.

Similarly to greenwashing, the term bluewashing has been proposed to describe false or misleading claims regarding an action's environmental impact on aquatic environments.[5]

Definitions

There is no universally agreed definition of what comprises the blue economy.[1][3] The umbrella of blue economy includes a wide range of economic sectors and activities including marine transport, offshore renewable energies, ship building, cruise tourism and fishing.[3]

By international organisations

According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem."[6]

European Commission defines it as "all economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts. It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors."[7]

The Commonwealth of Nations considers it "an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or 'blue' resources."[8]

Conservation International adds that "blue economy also includes economic benefits that may not be marketed, such as carbon storage, coastal protection, cultural values and biodiversity."[9]

According to the United Nations, the blue economy consists of "range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable."[10] They also connect the term to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 14, which focuses on life below water.[11]

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses the term ocean economy to describe any economic activity taking place on, using, or being connected in any way to the ocean.[12]

The World Wildlife Fund proposed defining a sustainable blue economy through a set of principles. These state that the blue economy should:

Blue finance

Blue finance refers to financial processes which reduce the carbon footprints of ocean-related economic activities and affect the marine environment positively. It is part of the broader framework of sustainable finance.[15]

According to the World Economic Forum, US$175 billion of annual investment in blue finance would be needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) most relevant to the blue economy (SDG 14, 'Life Below Water'). However, the current investment is far below what is needed for a sustainable use of oceans, and number 14 is the most underfunded one of the 17 SDGs.[15] Blue finance can also be directed at funding approaches which harness the ocean for climate change mitigation and adaptation. These include developing marine renewable energies (for example offshore wind turbines) and zero-emissions shipping, protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems (including mangrove forests, seagrass meadows).[16][17]

Blue justice

This section is an excerpt from blue justice[ edit ]

Sectors

Established and emerging sectors in the blue economy

The blue economy encompasses a wide range of economic sectors. The European Commission has grouped these sectors into 12 categories:

Blue biotechnology

Blue biotechnology involves using advanced technologies to extract and process biological materials from marine plants and animals and produce commercial goods such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food.[19][20] In the European Union, the sector was estimated to account for 2,500 jobs, producing a gross value added of  317 million euros in 2023.[19]

Algaculture

Algae species, which include macroalgae (seaweeds) and microalgae (single-cell organisms such as spirulina), play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems. They support underwater life by acting as a food source, producing oxygen, and providing a habitat for animals to live in.[21] Humans use algae for a variety of purposes, including as food, in nutritional supplements, pharmaceutical and biomedical products.[22] Algae as food is also explored as a sustainable protein alternative that could contribute to global food security.[23][24] Seaweed grows 10 times faster than land plants which makes algae farming (algaculture) an ideal food alternative to traditional agriculture.[25]

From an economic perspective, the algae sector is part of the blue bioeconomy. In member states such as France, Spain and Portugal, which produce the highest amount of algae, farming generated more than 10 million euros in 2022. The EU Algae Initiative set out the goal of producing 8 million tonnes of seaweed yearly by 2030.[23]

Coastal and maritime tourism

Shark watching, or looking at sharks in their natural habitat, is estimated to generate over US$314 million annually and create over 10,000 jobs globally.[26] Ecotourism, including shark diving, can benefit local communities economically by increasing the number of tourists and duration of visits.[27] Tensions exist between shark ecotourism and shark fisheries as both sectors compete for the same resource, and overfishing makes shark sightings less likely.[28]

Environmental aspects

Ecosystems

The blue economy harnesses the resources of a number of ecosystems, which are complex interactions of animals and plants in a specific landscape, for example the oceans.[11] The benefits humans derive from these are known as ecosystem services.[29]

Mangrove forests

See also: Mangrove restoration and Ecological values of mangroves
File:Mangrove forest in Kannur.jpg
Mangrove forests play an important role in sustainable blue economy.

Mangrove forests are made up of trees and shrubs that grow in coastal areas which are above water level during low tide but are submerged during high tide (known as intertidal zones).[30] Mangrove forests provide a wide range of benefits to coastal communities and the local blue economies.[31] By providing food and shelter, mangroves function as breeding and nursery grounds for fish. In effect, this leads to a higher abundance of fish, crustaceans, and shellfish around these areas which local small-scale fisheries rely on for food and livelihood.[32] With more than 4 million mangrove fishers around the world, mangrove forests are crucial for the food security of multiple countries.[33][32] Mangrove forests also help mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, offer protection from natural hazards such as tsunamis and tropical cyclones, and reduce coastal erosion by strengthening the soil.[34] Despite their beneficial properties, mangrove forests have been shrinking around the world. Since the 2000s, 0.5% of mangrove forests have been lost each year on average.[35]

Potential

Beyond traditional ocean activities such as fisheries, tourism and maritime transport, blue economy entails emerging industries including renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed extractive activities and marine biotechnology and bioprospecting.[36] Blue economy also encompasses ocean ecosystem services that are not captured by the market but provide significant contribution to economic and human activity. They include carbon sequestration, coastal protection, waste disposal, and the existence of biodiversity.[36]

There have been various methodologies proposed on how to estimate the contribution of the blue economy to GDP and the labor market at a regional level.[37]

Around the world

European Union

In 2023, the EU's blue economy provided jobs for nearly 4.9 million people and contributed to the GDP by €263 billion in gross value added.[38]

Philippines

As an island country, the Philippines relies heavily on the blue economy. Relevant sectors in the country include fisheries, shipping, renewable energy, and tourism. The blue economy made up nearly 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) of the country in 2024. It is largely financed through foreign aid. However, only 2% of all development aid received by the country is used to fund the blue economy.[39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 McBain, Darian; Reitmeier, Lea; Kyriacou, Georgina (11 December 2024). "What is the blue economy?" (in en-GB). https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-is-the-blue-economy/. 
  2. ↑ Yuan, He; Failler, Pierre (13 February 2025). "Defining the Blue Economy – in a language functional approach" (in en). Maritime Studies 24 (1). doi:10.1007/s40152-025-00403-6. ISSN 1872-7859. Bibcode: 2025MarSt..24...14Y. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40152-025-00403-6. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gourvenec, Susan; Dbouk, Wassim; Sturt, Fraser; Teagle, Damon A.H. (1 October 2025). "Pathways to a blue economy" (in en). Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 77. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2025.101570. Bibcode: 2025COES...7701570G. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1877343525000636. 
  4. ↑ Sharafuddin, Mohammed Ali; Madhavan, Meena (2020). "Thematic Evolution of Blue Tourism: A Scientometric Analysis and Systematic Review" (in en). Global Business Review 25 (2): 533–554. doi:10.1177/0972150920966885. ISSN 0972-1509. 
  5. ↑ Kılıç, Arınç Onat (2024-09-25). "Beyond bluewashing: A critical examination of labeling blue bonds" (in en). Marine Policy 163. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106152. Bibcode: 2024MarPo.16306152K. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308597X24001507. 
  6. ↑ "What is the Blue Economy?". June 6, 2017. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2017/06/06/blue-economy. 
  7. ↑ "The 2018 Annual Economic Report on EU Blue Economy". European Union: 5. 2018. ISBN 978-92-79-81757-1. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/79299d10-8a35-11e8-ac6a-01aa75ed71a1. 
  8. ↑ "Blue economy | The Commonwealth" (in en). March 21, 2018. http://thecommonwealth.org/blue-economy. 
  9. ↑ Bertazzo, Sophie (March 7, 2018). "What on Earth is the 'blue economy'? – Human Nature – Conservation..." (in en-US). Human Nature – Conservation International Blog. https://blog.conservation.org/2018/03/what-on-earth-is-the-blue-economy/. 
  10. ↑ United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). "Diving into the blue economy" (in en). https://www.un.org/en/desa/diving-blue-economy. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Sustainable blue economy" (in en). 2023-12-13. https://www.unep.org/topics/ocean-seas-and-coasts/ecosystem-based-approaches/sustainable-blue-economy. 
  12. ↑ OECD (2025-03-31) (in en). The Ocean Economy to 2050. OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/a9096fb1-en. ISBN 978-92-64-43413-4. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-ocean-economy-to-2050_a9096fb1-en.html. 
  13. ↑ "Principles for a Sustainable Blue Economy". 2018. https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_marine_briefing_principles_blue_economy.pdf. 
  14. ↑ "Getting It Right in a New Ocean: Bringing. Sustainable Blue Economy Principles to the Arctic". 2018. https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/wwf_report_arctic_blue_economy_181018.pdf. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 McBain, Darian; Reitmeier, Lea; Kyriacou, Georgina (11 December 2024). "What is blue finance?" (in en-GB). https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-is-blue-finance/. 
  16. ↑ Robinson, Carol; Sabine, Christopher; Isensee, Kirsten (2025-06-03). Pendleton, Linwood. ed. "Providing solutions to mitigate, adapt, and build resilience to the effects of climate change" (in en). ICES Journal of Marine Science 82 (6). doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsae170. ISSN 1054-3139. https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/doi/10.1093/icesjms/fsae170/7916767. 
  17. ↑ Almeida, Elena; Reitmeier, Lea (August 2024). The blue imperative: understanding interactions between the ocean, climate and economy. London: CETEx and Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science. https://cetex.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-blue-imperative-understanding-interactions-betwen-the-ocean-climate-and-economy.pdf. 
  18. ↑ "EU Blue Economy Sectors" (in en). European Commission. https://blue-economy-observatory.ec.europa.eu/eu-blue-economy-sectors_en. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Blue Biotechnology - EU Blue Economy Observatory - European Commission" (in en). European Commission. 21 May 2026. https://blue-economy-observatory.ec.europa.eu/eu-blue-economy-sectors/blue-biotechnology_en. 
  20. ↑ OECD (2017-09-26). Marine biotechnology: Definitions, infrastructures and directions for innovation. OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers. 43. doi:10.1787/9d0e6611-en. 
  21. ↑ Motshekga, Sarah Constance; Temane, Lesego Tabea; Orasugh, Jonathan Tersur; Ray, Suprakas Sinha (10 December 2023), "Marine Algae and Their Importance", in Soni, Ravindra; Suyal, Deep Chandra; Morales-Oyervides, Lourdes et al. (in en), Current Status of Marine Water Microbiology, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 67–124, doi:10.1007/978-981-99-5022-5_5, ISBN 978-981-99-5021-8, https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-99-5022-5_5, retrieved 2026-05-05 
  22. ↑ Araújo, Rita; Vázquez Calderón, Fatima; Sánchez López, Javier; Azevedo, Isabel Costa; Bruhn, Annette; Fluch, Silvia; Garcia Tasende, Manuel; Ghaderiardakani, Fatemeh et al. (2021-01-27). "Current Status of the Algae Production Industry in Europe: An Emerging Sector of the Blue Bioeconomy". Frontiers in Marine Science 7. doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.626389. ISSN 2296-7745. Bibcode: 2021FrMaS...726389A. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 European Commission. Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.; EUMOFA. (2023). European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products. ed. Blue bioeconomy report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. doi:10.2771/223072. ISBN 978-92-76-60087-9. 
  24. ↑ Thakur, Ankita; Sharma, Divyanshi; Saini, Rajni; Suhag, Rajat; Thakur, Dhruv (28 June 2024). "Cultivating blue food proteins: Innovating next-generation ingredients from macro and microalgae" (in en). Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 60. doi:10.1016/j.bcab.2024.103278. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1878818124002627. 
  25. ↑ Zhang, Lizhu; Liao, Wei; Huang, Yajun; Wen, Yuxi; Chu, Yaoyao; Zhao, Chao (13 October 2022). "Global seaweed farming and processing in the past 20 years" (in en). Food Production, Processing and Nutrition 4 (1). doi:10.1186/s43014-022-00103-2. ISSN 2661-8974. 
  26. ↑ Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M.; Barnes-Mauthe, Michele; Al-Abdulrazzak, Dalal; Navarro-Holm, Estrella; Sumaila, U. Rashid (30 May 2013). "Global economic value of shark ecotourism: implications for conservation" (in en). Oryx 47 (3): 381–388. doi:10.1017/S0030605312001718. ISSN 0030-6053. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605312001718/type/journal_article. 
  27. ↑ Pires, Natalia M.; Garla, Ricardo C.; Carvalho, Adriana R. (22 June 2016). "The economic role of sharks in a major ecotourism archipelago in the western South Atlantic" (in en). Marine Policy 72: 31–39. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2016.06.016. Bibcode: 2016MarPo..72...31P. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308597X16303839. 
  28. ↑ Eriksson, Björn; Medeiros-Leal, Wendell (15 April 2026). "Watching or catching sharks: Tracing the emergence of a marine resource conflict in the North Atlantic" (in en). Marine Policy 190. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107146. Bibcode: 2026MarPo.19007146E. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308597X26001168. 
  29. ↑ "Ecosystem Services" (in en). https://unece.org/ecosystem-services-0. 
  30. ↑ "Mangroves – surviving in "the harsh space between the tides"" (in en). 24 May 2017. https://iucn.org/news/forests/201705/mangroves-%E2%80%93-surviving-harsh-space-between-tides%E2%80%9D. 
  31. ↑ Banerjee, Anamitra; Agarwala, Nitin (2026), "Importance of Mangroves in Blue Economy", in Lange Salvia, Amanda; Eustachio, João; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta (in en), Handbook of Sustainable Blue Economy, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 1525–1551, doi:10.1007/978-3-032-19927-0_63, ISBN 978-3-032-19926-3, https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-032-19927-0_63, retrieved 2026-06-11 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Howai, Niko (2019). "Provisioning services of mangroves" (in en-GB). https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/provisioning-services-of-mangroves/. 
  33. ↑ zu Ermgassen, Philine S.E.; Mukherjee, Nibedita; Worthington, Thomas A.; Acosta, Alejandro; Rocha Araujo, Ana Rosa da; Beitl, Christine M.; Castellanos-Galindo, Gustavo A.; Cunha-Lignon, Marília et al. (6 December 2020). "Fishers who rely on mangroves: Modelling and mapping the global intensity of mangrove-associated fisheries" (in en). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 247. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106975. Bibcode: 2020ECSS..24706975Z. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S027277142030706X. 
  34. ↑ Howai, Niko (2019). "Regulating and cultural services of mangroves" (in en-GB). https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/regulating-and-cultural-services-of-mangroves/. 
  35. ↑ Howai, Niko; Bian, Alice; De Guzman-Mortiller, Arnica; Robinson, Elizabeth (20 May 2026). Mangrove livelihoods in Palawan, Philippines: individual and joint household preferences with exemption interviews. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Working Paper No. 448. London: London School of Economics and Political Science. doi:10.21953/researchonline.lse.ac.uk.00138521. https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GRI-working-paper-448-Howai-et-al-1.pdf. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "The Potential of the Blue Economy: Increasing Long-term Benefits of the Sustainable Use of Marine Resources for Small Island Developing States and Coastal Least Developed Countries". World Bank: ix. 2017. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/26843/115545.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. 
  37. ↑ Haddad, Eduardo; Araújo, Inácio (2025). "Shades of blue: the regional structure of the ocean economy in Brazil". npj Ocean Sustainability 4 (15). doi:10.1038/s44183-025-00112-x. Bibcode: 2025npjOS...4...15H. 
  38. ↑ European Commission. Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.; European Commission. Joint Research Centre. (2025). The EU blue economy report 2025.. LU: Publications Office. doi:10.2771/2333701. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2771/2333701. 
  39. ↑ Bian, Alice; Howai, Niko; Cayetano, Cristobal; Creencia, Lota; Gibb, Maxine; Robinson, Elizabeth (2026). Scaling up blue finance to support mangrove-based livelihoods in the Philippines (Report). London School of Economics and Political Science. doi:10.21953/researchonline.lse.ac.uk.00138528. https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Scaling-up-blue-finance-to-support-mangrove-based-livelihoods-in-the-Philippines.pdf. 



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