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Analysis finds that full implementation of ocean-based climate solutions that are ready for action now could reduce the “emissions gap” by up to 35 percent on a 1.5°C pathway in 2050.

This report demonstrates that the ocean can provide solutions that are viable and ready-to-implement to help ‘correct the course’ on climate change. What’s needed now is action to deliver these solutions and significant levels of investment to make it possible – before we run out of time. 

If you’ve flown on American Airlines recently, there’s a chance your plane was fueled by a small amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Jill Blickstein, Vice President of Sustainability at American Airlines, joins the show to talk about the latest advancements in SAF, how the carrier leverages renewables to power its operations and fleet upgrades the airline has made to enhance its sustainability. We also chat about an AI-enabled system called ‘Smart Gating’ that conserves fuel and saves time for travelers.  American Airlines is undertaking numerous initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. As Jill explains, many of those efforts come in places passengers might not notice, but certainly lead to more sustainable air travel.

According to new research from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), coastal and marine tourism represents at least 50% of all global tourism and supports millions of jobs and livelihoods worldwide. The global pandemic revealed the fragility of the current model of global tourism. As the world begins to recover and reopen again, all destinations will be faced with a choice. Either return to business as usual or use this moment as an opportunity to invest in a more sustainable model of coastal and marine tourism that will be prepared to address eminent and future crises, like climate change and biodiversity loss, and which equitably distribute wealth in host destinations to ensure economic well-being of coastal and island nations.  Despite extreme economic hardship, many inspiring stories have emerged over the past few years from coastal and marine areas. This global webinar series will provide an opportunity to hear from experts across the tourism industry on innovation and best practice, with a view to understanding how different actors within the tourism sector are considering the future of coastal and marine tourism.  These webinars will present key insights from the body of work commissioned by the Ocean Panel on coastal and marine tourism, including a special report: ‘Opportunities for Transforming Coastal and Marine Tourism: Towards Sustainability, Regeneration and Resilience’. They will also provide an opportunity to hear from experts across the tourism industry on innovation and best practice, with a view to understanding how different actors within the tourism sector are considering the future of coastal and marine tourism.

The global threat that ocean acidification poses to marine ecosystems has been recognized by the UN 2030 Agenda under Sustainable Development Goal, Target 14.3: to reduce ocean acidification. The Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) is a collaborative international network to detect and understand the drivers of ocean acidification in estuarine-coastal-open ocean environments, the resulting impacts on marine ecosystems, and to make the information available to optimize modelling studies. The Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS) programme, endorsed by the 2021–2030 UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, will build on the work of GOA-ON through its seven Decade Action Outcomes. By employing a Theory of Change framework, and with the co-design of science in mind, OARS will develop an implementation plan for each Decade Action Outcome, which will identify the stakeholders and rights-holders, as well as the tools, means, and positive consequences required for their successful delivery. The organizational structure of GOA-ON, with nine regional hubs, will benefit OARS by providing a vital connection between local and global scales. GOA-ON regional hub case-studies illustrate how activities in the past and future, informed by global and regional priorities, support capacity building and the co-design of ocean acidification science.

The combined coastline of G20 territories is 45 percent of the world’s harnessing the power of the Blue Economy, therefore, is vital given oceans’ crucial role in sustainable development goals. However, there are various challenges, such as a large financing gaps and lack of global standards and consensus on what constitutes ‘blue financing’. As investments are facing counteracting harmful subsidies and poor project bankability, there is little appetite for private, public, and philanthropic funding. The G20 can catalyze financing for Blue Economy transition by promoting targeted financial instruments such as debt-for-nature swaps, blue bonds and loans, conservation outcome based financing, and parametric insurance. Key recommendations include adopting robust standards and frameworks; strengthening oversight; eliminating regressive subsidies;
deploying innovative financial instruments; implementing cohesive policies and coordinated responses; increasing public investment; de-risking investments; incentivizing private finance, and increasing partnerships.

The Ocean Foundation, with support from National Geographic, collaborated with a group of eight young professionals (ages 18 to 26) from seven different countries to develop a Youth Ocean Action Toolkit — in both English and Spanish! Created by youth and for youth, the toolkit contains a collection of stories and case studies of Marine Protected Areas around the world that illustrate the power of collaboration, education, and community action, from the Arctic to the South Pacific and beyond. Thank you to the many experts who contributed their knowledge to support the toolkit, and to the local community members who inspired us with their stories of ocean activism.

Cruise tourism research has developed exponentially during the past decades. Global tourism activity in general and cruises in particular are concentrated in coastal areas and represent a dominant part of the so-called ‘blue economy’. Within this context, the public debate surrounding the impact of cruise tourism on port communities reflects a narrative of unsustainable growth, environmental pollution and negative globalization-related symbolism. Yet, the relatively small size of the cruise sector and the over-focus on emissions arguably misrepresents the overall impact and potential of this tourism domain for portside communities, economies and ecosystems. Cruise-related scientific research, as probably expected, offers a much more refined and holistic picture, transcending the somewhat populist public debate on this matter. Based on a systematic literature review examining cruise-related papers published between 1983 and 2009, Papathanassis and Beckmann (2011) Annals of Tourism Research 38(1), 153–174, identified 145 papers, which were subsequently subjected to a metadata- and a thematic-analysis.

Approximately, a quarter of them addressed the environmental-, social- and economic impacts of cruising on coastal regions. A decade later, and following an analogous methodological approach, a total of 305 cruise research papers, published between 2012 and 2022, yielded 161 relevant papers, subjected to the same coding scheme and thematically compared to previous findings. The subsequent thematic analysis, revealed a comprehensive set of issues, opportunities and challenges cruise tourism poses to coastal areas. Following a critical discussion of past developments and their trajectory, a future research and action agenda is proposed.

The GSTC Global Destination Sustainability Report is a companion report to the 2020 Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI), a product of a partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and designed to more deeply explore the sustainability dimension of adventure tourism competitiveness worldwide. The companion report analyzes 24 destinations that have applied the GSTC Destination Criteria and Indicators. These geographically diverse destinations vary in their level of tourism development. When used as a companion piece to the ATDI, the GSTC analysis provides additional insights into destination sustainability challenges and opportunities. While the ATDI is focused on country-level competitiveness insights, the GSTC-D report is regional and local in scope. An in-depth side-by-side analysis of the ATDI and the GSTC-D is featured throughout the document.

How can businesses drive the shift to a regenerative future? Alibaba Group’s study shows that 73% of global consumers are keen to adopt a sustainable lifestyle, but 38% doubt the credibility of brands' sustainability claims.

Join us in this webinar to find out how organizations can become catalysts for change that prioritize the needs of both the people and the planet. We’ll also explore the role of traceability, powered by technology, in building consumer trust and the ways brands can participate in a global movement to create lasting social and environmental impact.

La “Restauración de dunas costeras de la Península de Yucatán” es sin duda un manual que se produce de manera oportuna, dada la gran necesidad urgente de acciones de restauración de dunas costeras que existe en la zona. El contenido es de gran calidad académica y técnica, y además está ilustrado con hermosas fotografías y dibujos, que facilitan la comprensión del texto. Se trata de un trabajo atractivo tanto para académicos interesados en el tema, como para el público en general y tomadores de decisiones que tienen la intención de actuar y restaurar estos bellos y útiles ecosiste-mas. Adecuadamente, el manual da inicio con una introducción a las dunas costeras de la Península de Yucatán, describiendo sus formas y la vegetación que crece sobre ellas. Posteriormente, se hace un diagnóstico sobre la factibilidad y diseño de proyec-tos de restauración, para continuar con la extensa sección dedicada al tema central del trabajo, los procesos ecológicos en la restauración de dunas costeras. Concluye el trabajo con cuatro casos de restauración de dunas costeras que se han llevado a cabo en la zona. Por último, los autores fueron lo suficientemente cuidadosos como para ofrecer al lector un glosario de términos con el cual se facilita la comprensión de los conceptos técnicos utilizados en el texto. Es un trabajo único en el país, que inne- gablemente deberá servir de ejemplo para las otras costas mexicanas que también tienen la necesidad de restaurar sus dunas costeras.