Sustainability criteria for the blue economy

The blue economy is a pivotal component of global economies. There is international consensus that the blue economy boosts employment and innovation, and offers significant opportunities for
economic development and investment, including to local communities. The current output of the global blue economy, worth US $1.5 trillion, is expected to double by 20301. In addition to its
potential to drive significant economic and socioeconomic development, the blue economy can play a central role in alleviating the pressures on land resources and fostering climate change
mitigation and adaptation. In this context, the need to develop and promote sustainable blue economy activities has become critical, based on a common understanding at the international level of the activities and practices that contribute to it. This study is a step towards the establishment of such a common understanding by developing a set of criteria to assess the sustainability of blue
economy activities. The outcome of this study is an outline of a Blue Economy Sustainability Framework, which provides a preliminary set of sustainability criteria and indicators across various
blue economy sectors. Additional input from stakeholders would be essential to further develop and refine the Framework.

Sustainability criteria for the blue economy