The OECD definition of the ocean economy accounts for the economic activities of ocean-based industries, as well as the assets, goods, and services provided by marine ecosystems. This report considers three additional factors. First, beyond ocean-based industries and marine ecosystems, it refers to freshwater-based industries and ecosystems, moving from “ocean” to “blue” economy at large. Second, because freshwater and seawater are intrinsically linked through the global water cycle, the report asserts that water security should be considered as a critical element for resilient blue economy sectors. Third, it emphasises the importance of a territorial approach to the blue or ocean economy, which implies tailoring policies to local challenges including through effective multi-level governance.

The drive to develop sustainable blue economies and preserve marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems is accelerating thanks to a number of major global commitments, including the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). However, despite numerous declarations, statements, principles and communications around the blue economy in recent years, a significant gap remains in addressing the territorial and water security aspects. Subnational governments typically have responsibilities in urban and regional planning, water and sanitation, waste management and climate resilience. Nevertheless, existing national blue economy strategies often lack a territorial approach that would leverage the role of subnational governments to integrate place-based considerations. Additionally, water security is a blind spot of national and subnational blue economy policy: only a few blue economy strategies consider the consequences of water risks on economies and people’s wellbeing.

The OECD definition of the ocean economy accounts for the economic activities of ocean-based industries, as well as the assets, goods, and services provided by marine ecosystems. This report considers three additional factors. First, beyond ocean-based industries and marine ecosystems, the report refers to freshwater-based industries and ecosystems, moving from “ocean” to “blue” economy at large. Second, because freshwater and seawater are intrinsically linked through the global water cycle, the report asserts that water security should be considered as a critical element for resilient blue economy sectors. Third, this report emphasises the importance of a territorial approach to the blue or ocean economy, which implies tailoring policies to local challenges including through effective multi-level governance.

The blue economy has been gaining traction as a means of achieving sustainable economic growth while preserving coastal, marine and freshwater ecosystems. Because the blue economy takes place, creates value and provides jobs in cities and regions, subnational governments play a key but untapped role in the blue economy. Unlocking their potential calls for a territorial approach to the blue economy, which implies leveraging place-based policies to tailor measures to local challenges and accelerate efforts towards sustainable blue economies. This chapter provides an overview of the latest international developments in the blue economy before zooming in on the socio-economic and environmental benefits as well as the costs and threats to the blue economy at the subnational level, drawing from the results of the OECD Global Survey on Localising the Blue Economy.

This chapter provides an overview of the governance of the blue economy at the national and subnational levels, looking into the institutional framework and tools (including planning, regulation, economic incentives, funding, capacity building, awareness raising, and data and information) for blue economy policy, as well as dedicated national and subnational blue economy strategies, plans and policies.

Building on the assessment of benefits and costs of the blue economy at the subnational level (Chapter 1) and the multi-level governance and gap analyses of the blue economy (Chapter 2), this chapter sets out the framework for resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular (RISC-proof) blue economies in cities and regions. It identifies the ways forward to bridge gaps towards RISC-proof blue economies, which relate to policy making, policy coherence and policy implementation.

This chapter presents an Assessment Framework for resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular (RISC-proof) blue economies in cities and regions. The framework is a tool for subnational governments to self-evaluate the resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity of their blue economy and the level of implementation of the enabling governance conditions (policy making, policy coherence and policy implementation) to get there. Through bottom-up, multi-stakeholder dialogues, the framework aims to facilitate a comprehensive diagnosis of the blue economy and support a consensus on the governance improvements required over time.