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Governance to facilitate co-location and sustainable coexistence between green and blue sectors in the Nordic region

Speaker: Kerstin Bly Joyce, Nordregio, Jessica Hjerpe Olausson, RISE & Karina Barquet, SEI
Kerstin Bly Joyce, from Nordregio, discussed the need for sustainable coexistence between offshore renewable energy and marine food sectors in the Nordic region, highlighting the conflicts and synergies that arise from their spatial overlaps. She emphasized the importance of collaborative governance and marine spatial planning to address these challenges effectively.
The "Green Meets Blue" project
 aims to enhance knowledge about sustainable coexistence between offshore renewable energy (wind) and marine food sectors (fisheries, aquaculture) in the Nordic context. The project seeks to provide insights on how Nordic countries can cooperate to tackle potential sea-use conflicts. Key issues include trade-offs made within marine spatial planning frameworks, where both use values and non-use values are considered important.
The marine environment is facing a situation where traditional industries must meet new and upcoming sectors. A key focus of the "Green Meets Blue" project is to explore how governance can address conflicts and find win-win solutions. Incentives, which can be economic or regulatory, must be established, but most crucial are behaviours. There is always a reason behind why different actors behave the way they do, so it is essential to clarify the impacts, drivers and the actual challenges we face, as actors' behaviours are key.
Bly Joyce explained that policy tools can give incentives but "one solution does not fit all." There need to be specific tools designed for each aim. If we want to have an effect on behaviour, we have to target the right problem, much like the problem with micro plastic pollution from clothing stemming from cheap oil creating cheap fibres to manufacture cheap clothes.
The fast-developing energy sector and a strong marine food sector competing for the same space creates conflicts. Since we have a three-dimensional space, the problems get even more complex. We are dealing with varying interests and many different values. Practical experience of co-location is rare. We have to create a balance between the actors and not only co-location. For that reason, we need to understand the different interests, and that takes time. We have to move from a passive coexistence to a proactive planning of coexistence and even synergies. Cumulative impacts over time can create new conflicts. How can we handle imbalances between actors of different sizes? One incentive for some actors could be a compensation for the trade-offs.
Nordic challenges include rapidly growing issues such as conflicts over the overlap between wind farms and fishing areas. The three-dimensional space in depth/surface makes it even more complex, multi-faceted, involving the interaction of many varying interests and values. Synergies mainly exist with aquaculture, with a consensus on marine spatial planning that points to co-location. More processes than governance might be needed to make it long-term sustainable.
The project aims to delve deeper into what drives and what hinders collaboration between actors in the green and blue sectors through a series of case studies from the Nordic nations. These case studies will be conducted across varied geographical locations, examining governance practices related to managing the coexistence of offshore wind energy with marine food sectors. There are also a series of workshops planned for 2025 that aims to engage stakeholders from the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and North Atlantic regions, facilitating discussions on governance challenges and solutions for sector coexistence from local to cross-border levels.
Some highlights so far from the project include:
  • Policy tools can provide incentives, but one solution does not fit all
  • Targeting the right problem is crucial
  • Moving from passive coexistence to proactive planning
  • Realizing that we cannot have 100% of all there is in the ocean, trade-offs are necessary. Through marine spatial planning (MSP), we can still create win-win situations
  • Both use and non-use values are important
A better understanding of these dynamics is essential for fostering collaboration within the Nordic region. Effective governance and collaborative approaches are necessary to manage conflicts arising from overlapping interests between offshore renewable energy and marine food sectors in the Nordic region. While there are significant challenges due to spatial overlaps, there are also opportunities for synergy that can be harnessed through improved marine spatial planning.

Key takeaways:

  • The importance of sustainable coexistence between offshore renewable energy and marine food sectors in the Nordic region.
  • Need for collaborative governance and marine spatial planning to manage conflicts and find win-win solutions.
  • Recognition of the complexity added by the three-dimensional nature of marine space, involving varying interests and values.
  • Incentives, both economic and regulatory, are crucial, but understanding actors' behaviors and targeting the right problems are essential for effective governance.
  • Moving from passive coexistence to proactive planning is necessary for long-term sustainability.
  • Significant challenges exist due to spatial overlaps, but synergies, especially with aquaculture, can be harnessed through marine spatial planning.
  • We need an enhanced exchange of experiences within the Nordic region.
Jessica Hjerpe Olausson presented the Mistra C2B2 initiative,
 which focuses on finding a balance between environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social equity through innovative strategies and collaboration among stakeholders. She also discussed the Nordic BioBuz project,
 which aims to establish biodiversity credits and multi-use business models for offshore wind farms in Sweden.
Olausson highlighted the current state of ocean governance and the urgent need for a more integrated approach to address the challenges facing various stakeholders in marine industries. She emphasized that improving ocean governance requires a comprehensive strategy that incorporates sustainable development goals, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive management.
To tackle issues within the blue economy, innovative solutions and stronger collaboration among diverse stakeholders are essential. A key component of C2B2 is the development of LivingLabs, set to take place in three regions of Sweden – west, east, and north. Two LivingLabs, LivingLab East and LivingLab West, were launched in September. These forums will bring together various marine stakeholders, including fisheries, wind power companies, researchers, and authorities, to discuss challenges, experiment, identify knowledge gaps, and resolve conflicts.
The principal challenges within the blue economy involve environmental degradation, economic and social concerns, governance and policy obstacles, and stakeholder coordination. Effectively addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach that aligns environmental sustainability with economic development and social equity. Enhanced international cooperation, paired with innovative technologies, is vital for fostering a successful blue economy.

Key takeaways:

  • Advocates for a holistic approach to ocean governance integrating sustainable development goals, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive management strategies.
  • Highlights the importance of innovative solutions and enhanced cooperation among stakeholders to address challenges in the blue economy.
  • Stresses the integration of environmental sustainability, economic development, and social equity in ocean governance.
Karina Barquet from The Stockholm Environment Institute presented some current work with reviewing incentives for multifunctionality. The review examines various European countries' approaches to fostering multifunctionality in maritime spaces, highlighting incentives and challenges within different regulatory frameworks. Key research questions include identifying the tools used for multifunctionality, the sectors that utilize these approaches, and which countries lead in this area.
Notably, regulatory challenges are prominent, with inadequate legislation for multifaceted use (MU) and conflicts among sectoral laws being significant barriers. Safety regulations around offshore installations remain insufficient, particularly affecting activities like pescatourism. Additionally, tensions exist between environmental legislation aimed at carbon reduction and the need for renewable energy.
A lack of harmonized policies was identified, revealing discrepancies among countries regarding Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) maturity. Effective integration of regulations across sectors rather than the existence of MSP itself is essential for promoting MU. Risk management frameworks for multi-use activities are underdeveloped, leading to liabilities that often deter stakeholders.
Public participation in policy processes is often limited, dominating stakeholder influence, which can skew decision-making. There is also a tendency for public procurement processes to favor single sector operations, reducing the encouragement of diversified activities. Furthermore, methods to analyze combined activities' risks are lacking, impeding the potential for impactful MU practices.
The review highlights examples of tools and policies across different countries that promote MU, including:
  • Germany: MSP implementation supporting MU projects.
  • Belgium: Regulation allowing offshore aquaculture within wind energy zones under specific conditions.
  • Norway: Multi-use zoning for sea-based aquaculture.
  • UK: Advanced policies incentivizing co-location of energy and fisheries.
  • GreeceLegislation facilitating pescatourism.
  • Sweden and UK: Safety zones allowing certain activities near offshore wind farms.
The potential benefits of MU include enhanced biodiversity, support for fisheries, aquaculture opportunities, and tourism initiatives that diversify income streams. Economic incentives like governmental subsidies and tax breaks for multifunctional installations serve to drive feasibility and innovation.
Lastly, the review underscores the importance of ongoing research and development, public-private partnerships, and innovative monitoring technologies that facilitate multifunctional use in marine ecosystems.
Examples of multifunctionality:
  • Co-use: Utilizing the same facility for various outcomes.
  • Co-location: Sharing the value chain.
  • Co-existence: Using the same base resource in different locations.
  • Governance includes soft measures beyond regulations, with obstacles such as a lack of trust and knowledge about environmental impacts.

Key takeaways:

  • Emphasizes balancing environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social equity through innovative solutions and stakeholder collaboration.
  • Analyzes leading countries in marine multifunctionality, focusing on resource co-use, co-existence, and value interactions through legislative, economic, and technical measures.
  • Identifies major challenges such as the absence of multi-use policies, unclear safety regulations, and social and economic hurdles.
Nordic Council of Ministers I www.norden.org/publications I pub@norden.org