About the Webinar

Ocean-based renewable energy could play a central role in the rapid decarbonisation of the energy system that is needed to stay within the 1.5°C limit established by the Paris Agreement, potentially delivering up to 5.4% of the annual emissions reductions needed by 2050, with the theoretical potential to deliver much more. Lowering global energy demand through more efficient end-use of energy would speed up the energy transition and increase the impact of ocean-based renewable energy.

Like many technological advances, the rapid scaling of new technologies requires raw materials. Ocean-based renewable energy technology and other components entering the global energy system, notably electrochemical battery storage systems, are no different, requiring metals such as lithium, cobalt, copper, steel and rare earth elements. Mining the deep seabed, where some of the metals used in renewable technologies are found in higher concentrations, potentially provides a new and abundant source of some of these metals, but invokes environmental, legal and governance challenges.

This webinar features the latest Blue Paper commissioned by the Ocean Panel: What Role for Ocean-Based Renewable Energy and Deep-Seabed Minerals in a Sustainable Future? The paper’s authors and other experts will discuss the choices and challenges faced by governments, businesses, communities and NGOs, and which actions can help ensure that the scaling up of ocean-based renewable energy, and decisions taken about deep-seabed mining, maintain ocean health and achieve a sustainable ocean economy.

Speakers

  • H.E. Mr Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean (Opening Remarks)
  • Prof. Peter Haugan, Ph.D, Programme Director, Institute of Marine Research; Professor, University of Bergen, and Co-chair Ocean Panel Expert Group (Lead Author and Panelist)
  • Prof. Lisa A. Levin, Distinguished Professor, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and Integrated Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (Lead Author and Panelist)
  • Dr. Diva Amon, Deep-Sea Biologist and Scientific Associate, Natural History Museum, London (Contributing Author and Panelist)
  • Mr. Francisco Boshell, Team Lead, Innovation for Renewable Energy Technologies, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (Panelist and Advisory Network Member)
  • Mr. Kristian Teleki, Head of Secretariat, High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, World Resources Institute (Moderator)

Share with Your Networks

 

 

 

About the Ocean Panel and Blue Papers 

The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) was established in September 2018 to catalyse bold, pragmatic solutions for realising a sustainable ocean economy, where protecting and restoring the ocean to health is essential for producing more from it, so that people can prosper equitably. A unique global initiative of 14 serving heads of state and government, representing 30 percent of the world’s coastlines, the Ocean Panel is working with government, business, financial institutions, the science community and civil society to develop a transformative action agenda that recognises the need for a new relationship between humanity and the ocean and the rapid transition to a sustainable ocean economy.  

The Ocean Panel is strongly dedicated to knowledge and science in everything it does. In the spirit of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building momentum towards the UN Decade of Ocean Science, and meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the Ocean Panel commissioned a series of 16 Blue Papers and two special reports – The Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change Report: 5 Opportunities for Action and Towards a Sustainable Ocean Economy Report – that will inform the Ocean Panel’s action agenda.