A new study has ranked 66 countries and territories on the quality of their ocean sustainability efforts.
The study, published by MIT Technology Review Insights as part of their new ‘The Blue Technology Barometer’ analysis, was carried out in association with Morgan Stanley, Infosys, and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.
The Blue Technology Barometer claims to analyse national economies against ocean sustainability based on both qualitative and quantitative factors, themselves organised into the following four pillars:
- The ocean environment, observing carbon dioxide emissions produced by offshore practices
- Marine activity, studying the maintenance of protected areas and how much effort is being put into the promotion of sustainable fishing
- Technological innovation, judging the development of sustainable ocean technologies
- Policy and regulation, reviewing the signing and enforcing of international sustainable fishing treaties
On their website, the MIT Technology Review features an interactive index showcasing which countries are making the largest strides towards ocean sustainability and countering the impacts of climate change.
According to the study, the United Kingdom is the best for ocean sustainability, achieving an average score of 7.83. Germany scored 7.54, taking second place. Closely following their neighbour, Denmark placed third with a score of 7.37.
“Integrating ocean sustainability efforts such as blue technology innovation with ‘green’ land-based efforts will be crucial for countries working to meet the terms of the Paris Climate Accord and limit global warming down to 1.5 ̊ C,” said Francesca Fanshawe, International Editorial Director of MIT Technology Review Insights.
“Consumer engagement in areas like fishing and marine pollution are putting pressure on companies to invest in ocean conservation. Increasingly, we’re seeing ‘blue’ sustainability efforts being synonymous with economic competitiveness.”
The findings also show that Cameroon came in last place, taking the 66th position, with an average score of 2.76.
It is surmised that countries in the lower ranks place there because they are under significant economic pressure which may prevent more focus being placed on ocean sustainability and green developments.
For this reason, some critics suggest that large-scale reparation schemes must be drawn up to appropriately fund the renewable energy transition of developing countries.
It is also important to point out the limitations of the study. For instance, although China’s average score meant the economic superpower placed 17th, the country’s nascent investments in blue technology and renewable offshore power is overshadowed by its exhaustive deep-water fishing practices and its lack of marine conservation.
