Blue Financing And Investments

ST 4.3: Start-up and Leadership Development for Sustainable Blue Economies

Overview

Sustainable blue economies have been promoted as a priority policy objective by many coastal and island countries and communities. While conventional method and traditional practices need to be fostered for achieving such objectives, it is also vital to pursue progress and innovative approaches. To facilitate business models that will achieve sustainable blue economies, it is essential to consolidate knowledge of not only oceanographic, biological and ecological aspects, but also policies, laws, finance, management and other social science related disciplines. A number of countries have been looking into the schemes to support start-ups to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). However, such schemes have not targeted the business opportunities in coastal and marine resource management. In this session, some start-up businesses addressing coastal and marine resource management will be examined. At the same time, it is also intended to depict the key knowledges and skills needed to initiate, facilitate and effectively management start-up businesses that will achieve sustainable blue economies.

Objectives

  1. Identify Innovative Start-up Models: Explore and analyze successful start-up initiatives focused on coastal and marine resource management that contribute to sustainable blue economies, identifying innovative practices and strategies.
  2. Integrate Interdisciplinary Knowledge: Consolidate understanding of the necessary scientific, policy, financial, and management knowledge needed to support the growth of start-ups focused on marine and coastal sustainability.
  3. Foster Networking and Collaboration: Create a platform for networking among stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, policymakers, and researchers, to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange that can enhance sustainable blue economy initiatives.
  4. Encourage Community Engagement: Discuss the importance of involving local communities in the development and management of sustainable blue economy initiatives, ensuring that their traditional knowledge and practices are integrated.

Programme:

TIME AGENDA
10:00 – 10:05 Opening and Introductory Session

  • Moderator: Mr. Masanori Kobayashi, Program Director, Sasakawa Peace
  Thematic Presentations on Science, Policy, Leadership and Start-up Support
10:05 – 10:20

 

 Presentation 1: Start-up and Leadership Development for Ocean Conservation and Sustainable Blue Economies

  • Mr. Masanori Kobayashi, Program Director, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
10:20 – 10:35 Presentation 2: Offshore Marine Protected Areas to Protect Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Sustainability

  • Dr. Augy Syahailatua, Research Professor in Biological Oceanography and Fishery Science, Research Centre for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia
10:35 – 10:50

 

 Presentation 3: Sustainable Blue Economy Transformation Policy in Indonesia: Leadership and Sustainable Fisheries in Practice

  • Prof. Luky Adrianto, Chairperson, International Research Institute for Maritime, Ocean and Fisheries, IPB University/ Sustainability Advisor, ARUNA
10:50 – 11:05

 

 Presentation 4: Innovation and Digitizing Ocean Action

  • Prof. Icarus Allen, Chief Executive, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and PML Applications Ltd
  Discussion Moderator:
11:05 – 11:45 Discussant:

  • Dr. Sheila G Vergara, Project Manager, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
11:45 – 12:00 Wrap-up

 

26 August, 2024

ST 4.2: Seminar on Blue Carbon Policy, Regulation and Technology

Overview

In recent years, the global economic landscape has increasingly prioritized a green and low-carbon transition. The urgent challenges of global warming and implications of climate change have galvanized collective action, leading to the political commitments of achieving carbon neutrality in the mid of the century in order to bridge the gap between their emission reduction targets and the overarching goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial level. While many countries have articulated their commitments through policy announcements, there remains a significant shortfall in concrete implementation and actionable measures to back these ambitious promises.

The pressing challenges of climate change necessitate innovative solutions and collaborative efforts across diverse sectors and regions. Coastal and marine ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate impacts, particularly through carbon sequestration, yet they are often undervalued and underfunded within climate action frameworks. The Mediterranean region, characterized by its unique biodiversity and socio-economic complexities, offers a vital context for examining climate policies and potential opportunities. Countries like China, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Japan are leading the way in blue carbon initiatives, demonstrating effective practices for sustainable management and conservation. PEMSEA is working towards a blue carbon certification initiative to incentivize conservation, restoration and management of blue carbon ecosystem at regional level.

This seminar aims to get together experts from various fields to exchange insights and best practices on legal, policy, and financial mechanisms to enhance blue carbon ecosystems and ocean negative carbon emissions as ocean-based climate solutions. By exchanging knowledge and practices of current state and future prospects of blue carbon initiatives, the program seeks to stimulate collaboration and foster discussions towards developing innovative strategies to enhance climate resilience in coastal regions. The seminar will specifically focus on marine carbon sinks, exploring relevant policies, laws, and blue carbon accounting methodologies that can ensure the sustainable development of blue carbon resources while achieving co-benefits of climate mitigation and biodiversity enhancement.

Objectives

  1. Explore Legal and Policy Frameworks: Assess the current laws and policies to facilitate climate action in various Mediterranean and East Asian contexts, highlighting opportunities for improvement and adaptation.
  2. Share Regional Insights: Present the status of blue carbon initiatives in specific countries, including China, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Japan, to showcase successful practices and potential challenges.
  3. Facilitate Knowledge Exchange: Encourage dialogue among experts, researchers, and policymakers to share best practices and innovative approaches to blue carbon sequestration and ecosystem management.
  4. Discuss Financial Modalities: Identify and evaluate financing options and mechanisms that can support blue carbon programs and initiatives, focusing on sustainable investment strategies.
  5. Promote Certification Standards: Examine the role of blue carbon certification in incentivizing conservation efforts and explore frameworks for effective implementation.
  6. Encourage Collaborative Efforts: Foster partnerships between countries and organizations to enhance regional cooperation and collective action in addressing climate change through blue carbon initiatives.

Through these objectives, the seminar aims to create a comprehensive understanding of the interface between climate policy, economic viability, and environmental stewardship, ultimately contributing to more effective climate action in the two regions.

Programme:

 

TIME AGENDA
1430 – 1445

 

 Introduction

Moderator:

  • Prof. Zhang Haiwen, former Director, CIMA

Opening remarks

  • Dr. Xu Guodong, Director, NMHMS-MNR
  • Mr. Pan Xinchun, Vice President and Secretary-General, CODF
  • Dr. Keita Furukawa, Technical Session Chair, PEMSEA
Policy Session

  • Moderator：Mr. Guo Yinfeng, Chief Expert for International Cooperation, NMHMS-MNR
1445 – 1455 Presentation 1: Law, Policy and Opportunities in Climate Action – Recent Initiatives from a Mediterranean Island

  • Dr. Anthoine Grima, University of Malta
1455 – 1505 Presentation 2: Blue Carbon Sequestration and Associated Environmental Policies in Sri Lanka: Current Status and Future Perspectives

  • Prof. Dimuthu Wijeyaratne University of Kelaniya
1505 – 1515

 

 Presentation 3: Low Carbon and Resilient Mauritius

  • Prof. Kishore Boodhoo, University of Mauritius
1515 – 1525

 

 Presentation 4: Japan Blue Carbon Credit (J-Blue Credit®) Implementation and the Policy Directions

  • Dr. Atsushi Watanabe, OPRI-SPF/Japan Blue Economy Association (JBE)
1525 – 1535 Presentation 5: Marine CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) Technologies: Global Analysis of Principles, Participation, and Prospects

  • Prof. Guanqiong Ye, Zhejiang University
1535 – 1545 Presentation 6: International Legal Regulation of Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions and China’s Response

  • Prof. Yitong Chen, Ocean University of China
1545 – 1605 Panel discussion
1605 – 1620 Tea break
Technology Session

Moderator：Dr. Keita Furukawa, Technical Session Chair, PEMSEA
1620 – 1630

 

 Presentation 7: Blue Carbon Market Assessment: Some Insights of the Demand in Asia

  • Dr. Michael Abundo, OceanPixel
1630 – 1640 Presentation 8: Recent Development in Blue Carbon Monitoring and Accounting in PR China

  • Dr. Yuxing Wang, National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service, Ministry of Natural Resources (NMHMS-MNR), China
1640 – 1700 Presentation 9:  Building a Unified Approach for Blue Carbon Accounting in East and Southeast Asia: Progress and Future Directions,

  • Ms. Kristina Di Ticman, PEMSEA Resource Facility
1720 – 1720 Panel discussion
1720 – 1730 Wrap-up and End of Session

  • Dr. Keita Furukawa,
  • PEMSEA

 

 

26 August, 2024

ST 4.1: Marine Litter Fund Forum

Overview

Marine plastic litter has emerged as a significant global environmental challenge that demands immediate and effective intervention. The East Asian Seas region is a major contributor to marine plastic litter, due to factors such as high population density, rapid urbanization, and inadequate waste management systems. Consequently, this region is responsible for over 50% of the world’s marine plastic litter. Given the interconnected nature of marine ecosystems, addressing this issue requires coordinated and collaborative efforts among neighboring countries. Effective collaboration between developed and developing nations that share these marine resources is crucial, especially in supporting countries that lack the necessary technical, policy, and economic capacities to tackle the problem independently.

Despite the severity of the marine litter problem, international cooperation remains insufficient, and this is particularly true in the East Asian Seas region. It is time to move beyond merely recognizing the issue and to implement concrete, actionable solutions. Establishing a fund as a first step will be a practical measure to achieve tangible results. Given the substantial contributions to marine litter from the East Asian Seas region, there is an urgent need to discuss the formation of a fund to enhance international cooperation in this domain.

In response, Korea Maritime Institute, COBSEA, PEMSEA, and the World Bank are jointly organizing this forum to foster international cooperation on marine litter and to discuss the establishment of a dedicated fund. We anticipate that this forum will serve as a crucial foundational step in deliberating the necessary funding mechanisms to jointly address the marine litter issue in the East Asian Seas region.

Purpose 

The purpose of this forum is to share the necessity of establishing a fund among neighboring countries to address the marine litter problem in the East Asian region and to discuss strategies for fund-raising through cooperation. Through these efforts, we aim to strengthen international cooperation for the protection of the marine environment and sustainable development. The specific objectives are as follows:

  1. Sharing Trends and Policies on Marine Litter in East Asian Seas region: Discussing the current state of marine litter pollution, the policies implemented to address it, and the status of international cooperation to reassess the severity of the issue and emphasize the necessity of collective response.
  2. Examining International Cooperation Efforts: Analyzing funding strategies and the effectiveness of international cooperation through case studies from the World Bank, and discussing the implications for East Asia.
  3. Exploring the Marine Plastic Value Chain: Investigating areas for collaboration based on the analysis of the marine plastic value chain, which constitutes most of the marine litter.
  4. Reviewing Private Fund Trends and Potential: Examining the trends and future potential of private funds in addressing marine litter, focusing on initiatives by financial institutions involved in the UNEP Finance Initiative.
  5. Assessing International Cooperation and Fundraising Case Studies: Reviewing the current state of international cooperation on marine litter in East Asia and exploring case studies of international environmental funds to propose possible directions for establishing a marine litter fund.

Programme

TIME AGENDA
1400 – 1430 Registration
1430 – 1450​ Opening Ceremony

Opening Address

  • Jung Hee, Cho, Vice President, Korea Maritime Institute

Welcome Address

  • Aimee Gonzales, Executive Director, PEMSEA
  • Mahesh Pradhan, Coordinator, Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)

Group Photo
1450 – 1605 Presentations:

Presentation 1: Current State of Marine Litter in East Asia

  • Xinhong Wang, Professor, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University

Presentation 2: World Bank’s Marine Litter Fundraising and International Cooperation Cases

  • Giovanni Ruta, Lead Environmental Economist, World Bank Group

Presentation 3: Areas of International Cooperation from the Perspective of the Marine Plastic Value Chain

Presentation 4: Initiative to Combat Marine Litter and Beat Plastic Pollution

  • Liu Yue, Manager, Green Finance Department of Xiamen Bank

Presentation 5: Directions for Establishing a Fund to Achieve a Plastic-Free East Asian Sea

  • Yoonjung Lee, Associate Research Fellow, Korea Maritime Institute
1605 – 1630 Break
1630 – 1720 Panel Discussion

Moderator

  • Maeve Nightingale, Senior Programme Officer, IUCN

Panels

  • Panel 1. Mahesh Pradhan, Coordinator, COBSEA
  • Panel 2. Anders Poulsen, Senior Project Manager, SCS SAP Project
  • Panel 3. Sung-Jin Cho, Senior Researcher, Korea Maritime Institute
1720 – 1730 Closing and Closing Remarks

 

23 August, 2024

FOCUS : Ocean Innovations and Financing

How can we harness cutting-edge technologies and innovative financing to protect our oceans while fostering sustainable development? Dive into the future of ocean management with keynote presentations on maintaining our momentum for ocean conservation, leveraging satellite technology and exploring ocean-climate financing opportunities. This session promises to unveil the latest developments transforming the blue economy.

 Moderator:  Dr. Minhan Dai, Xiamen University

13:00-13:10 Keynote Presentation: Maintaining the Momentum for Action to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Coastal and Marine Resources for Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy – video presentation

Dr. Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary- General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
13:10-13:20 Keynote Presentation : Sea from Space: Harnessing Information from Ocean Observation Platforms for Sound Planning and Decision Making” and “Today’s Models, Tomorrow’s Future”

Professor Icarus Allen, Chief Executive, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
13:20-13:30 Keynote Presentation: Financing and Investment for the Oceans

Mr. Andrew Hume, Senior Environment Specialist, International Waters Focal Area Coordinator,
Global Environment Facility
13:30-14:00 Moderated Panel Discussion

Respondents:

Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia & the Pacific, United Nations Development Programme, Bangkok Regional Hub

Mr. Masanori Kobayashi, Senior Resource Fellow, Ocean Policy
23 August, 2024

Ministerial Field Visit

This event is by invitation only.

23 August, 2024