‘The Teal New Deal’ – 4 Steps to A Sustainable Blue Economy

Figure 1: “The Teal New Deal” (Dundas et al, 2020)

 Our ecosystems are critical to the Earth’s balance and as a civilisation we are upsetting that balance to the point of extinction. Our refusal to accept that our “normal” way of life is destructive, even to ourselves, does not have to be inevitable. If we want to make the big and necessary changes, we can. By using new technology and Mother Nature’s own tools, we have the ability to create a positive, long-term effect on the future.

In pursuit of a more sustainable post-pandemic and Brexit world, a new proposal, The Teal New Deal urges governments to implement guidelines based around the ocean and coastal habitats, in conjunction with the industries that depend on those ecosystems (Dundas et al., 2020).

This proposal by the Society for Conservation Biology focuses on four sectors: energy, food security, habit restoration, and transportation - each essential to counteracting the ecological damage of the last century and a half (Dundas et al., 2020).

1. Renewable Energy

Figure 2: The North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm (RWE, 2017)

The UK can benefit from off-shore wind power due to its abundant coastline and higher than average wind speeds (Energy UK, 2020). The North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm (North Wales), for example, has been in operation since 2003. It supplies power to approximately 40,000 homes per year and was designed to prevent over 160,00 tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, while employing over 900 workers (Webgiorgio, 2007). The low-carbon and renewable energy economy in the UK has seen a job increase of nearly 12% between 2015 and 2018 and an increase in investment of 48% over the same period (ONS, 2020). Using the UK coastlines will help to grow this industry and help the country to prosper.

2. Marine Food Production

The second step is establishing new rules relating to marine food production.

In 2014, the UK fishing industry’s gross profit margin increased by 20% and was the highest in the EU, at €367 million (Carpenter, 2016). EU regulation, which made this possible, will not apply to the UK beyond the end of 2020 so Britain will need to adopt legislation to maintain these standards and promote sustainable fishing (WWF, n.d.).

This will require new laws combating unfair fishing quotas and overfishing and establishing environmental protection for animals and habitats (MSC, n.d.). 23 companies control more than two-thirds of all UK fishing quotas however smaller businesses would be more beneficial in the long-term, as they provide more jobs, more humane and sustainable fishing methods, and contribute more to the local economy (Green Peace, n.d.).

3. Habitat Restoration

Figure 3: The ability of wetlands to carbon capture compared to other ecosystems (CCC, n.d.)

The third step is the restoration and protection of oceanic habitats and coastlines. Marine ecosystems offer efficient carbon capture and storage and help to control erosion and protect against the harmful effects of storms (CCC, n.d.).

Coastal wetlands can be used as carbon sinks and mitigate the destruction caused by rising sea levels, storms, floods and erosion. Even though their maintenance is low cost and relatively straightforward, coastal wetlands are some of the most endangered habitats (CCC, n.d.). 

The kelp forests surrounding Britain contribute significantly to carbon capture and can maintain up to “4,300 metric tons” of carbon per square kilometre per year; this is more per unit area than terrestrial forests (Wernberg and Filbee-Dexter, 2018). Kelp forests can also provide a buffer against storm surges thus reducing coastal erosion (Mork, 1996; Lovas and Torum, 2001). Instead of neglecting these perfectly crafted organic tools we should be taking full advantage of them. 

4. Sustainable Transportation

The fourth step is improving the sustainability of the maritime transportation industry. While this sector makes up only a small portion of the country's economy, 95% of the UK's trade goes through its ports (CEBR, 2019). 100,000 jobs are directly dependent on the maritime industry; hence it is crucial that the transportation industry takes steps to become more sustainable (Maritime UK, 2019). It has been suggested that seaborne emissions can be reduced by more than 75% using technology that is currently available: using liquid natural gas, biofuels and wind power or modifying the designs of ships’ hulls, and reducing their speed and capacity (Dundas et al., 2020). The industry has reduced CO2 emissions by 33% since 2007 and following exit from the EU, the British government will need to ensure that EU standards concerning fuel and emissions’ regulations will be maintained (Cariou et al., 2019).

For the UK, this is an unprecedented time with the need to mitigate both the impacts of the Coronavirus and Brexit through economic stimulus packages. This is an opportunity to combine economic and social policies that incorporate sustainable ideas and innovation, to create a green economy, benefiting many generations to come. While our land forests may be few, we can't let our kelp forests go the same way. Although not positioned to make optimal use of solar energy, we have abundant wind and tidal energy. The islands that comprise the UK are ideally suited to take advantage of the opportunity to ‘rule the waves’ from a sustainable point of view.

By Emily Calnan

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