Our mission at the Center for the Blue Economy is to promote a sustainable, resilient ocean and coastal economy (the “Blue Economy”) through leadership in research, analysis, and education.
What is the “Blue Economy”?
The “Blue Economy” comprises the economic activities that create sustainable wealth from the world’s oceans and coasts. The center examines ways that ocean and coastal resources can support economic development and enhance healthy, resilient oceans and well-managed coastlines.
Our Research
Our research focuses on two areas—helping organizations understand how to measure the size and changing nature of economic relationships with the oceans and coasts in order to guide choices and monitor progress, and the economics of climate change adaptation in coastal regions.
“Blue New Deal” House Bill: A Major Advance for National Ocean Climate Action
MONTEREY, CA — October 20, 2020
Today, the House Natural Resources Committee introduced the “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act,” the first bill aimed at using ocean and coastal resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to help coastal communities equitably adapt to climate change impacts.
“We see this bill as the beginning of a tidal change in U.S. ocean and climate policy,” says David Helvarg, Executive Director of Blue Frontier. “We were particularly pleased to see that many of our specific recommendations have been incorporated into the current version of the House bill,” says Jason Scorse, Director of the Center for the Blue Economy.
Sign the Petition and Join the Wave of Support
The Center for the Blue Economy has partnered with Blue Frontier to bring together thought leaders from across industry, government, academia, and the conservation community to craft the Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP)—Blue New Deal. The plan, with its growing support, will provide the template for some of the first ocean climate legislation and policy actions in U.S. history, beginning in 2021.
Over 100 influential people, organizations, and policy makers support the plan: Ocean Climate Action Plan Primary Signatories.
Take action and add your name to the Change.org/OceanClimateAction petition to pledge your support!
Encourage others to sign on! Share on social media, and use our Blue New Deal social media toolkit!
The Ocean Climate Action Plan: Turning Ideas Into Advocacy
Wednesday, October 28th, 12:00-1:00pm PT
Online via Zoom—Free, Open to the Public
Registration Required
Speaking as part of the Middlebury Institute’s World Views Speaker Series, Professor Jason Scorse, Director of the Center for the Blue Economy and Chair of the International Environmental Policy master’s program details the Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP)-A Blue New Deal’s path from development into law.
Elected Leaders Explain
Senator Jeff Merkeley (D OR), Rep. Deb Haaland (D NM) and Rep. Joe Cunningham (D SC) state why a Blue New Deal is important for a vibrant economy and sustainable future.
Two speaker series converge in the fall term: On Tuesdays at 6:00pm Pacific Time, the Center for the Blue Economy speakers focus on ocean and coastal issues, while Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30pm Pacific Time, the Environmental Justice and Sustainability speakers include issues ranging from systemic racism to climate change to sustainable food systems. The public is welcome to attend all lectures, held online via Zoom. Learn more about the topics, speakers, and how to join by clicking the links below.
CBE Speaker Series & Environmental Justice/Sustainability Speaker Series
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Follow the Center for the Blue Economy on Twitter @CBE_MIIS or Facebook @CenterForTheBlueEconomy for related news stories on the Ocean Climate Action Plan.
Center for the Blue Economy News
U.S. Officially Measures Blue Economy in GDP
June 2, 2020
America’s Blue Economy Worth Nearly $373 Billion
For the first time, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce will officially measure the economic contributions of the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes in national income accounts. The Center for the Blue Economy, Dr. Charles Colgan (CBE Director of Research) and the National Ocean Economics Program team (precursor and foundation of the CBE) have been innovating and advocating for 21 years to make this happen. The link above has more detail, and slides below show the first set of official statistics.
