EIT Climate-KIC joins EU initiative to bring systems thinking into ocean literacy 

EIT Climate-KIC recently joined the EU4Ocean coalition, an initiative that aims to connect diverse organisations, projects and people that contribute to ocean literacy and the sustainable management of the ocean. As part of the project, EIT Climate-KIC will be an active member of the EU4Ocean Platform and will share its expertise and experience in applying systems thinking to concrete ocean literacy activities.

The ocean covers approximately 70% of Earth’s surface. It’s the largest liveable space on our planet, and the most unknown. Almost 2,000 new ocean species are officially described by the scientific community each year, while about 90% of ocean species remain unclassified.

“As our understanding of the ocean and its inhabitants continues to evolve, so does our recognition of human activities’ profound impact upon it. The intricate interplay between marine ecosystems and human actions underscores the imperative for adopting a systems-thinking approach. Only by engaging stakeholders with different on-the-ground experiences and expertise can we comprehensively assess the interconnectedness of various elements and cultivate informed decision-making processes that prioritise the health and sustainable management of our oceans” says Maria Loloni, Maritime and Industrial Symbiosis Programme Lead at EIT Climate-KIC.

This is where ocean literacy comes in. It promotes awareness and appreciation of the ocean’s role in shaping the Earth’s climate, providing food and resources, and supporting biodiversity, ultimately fostering a sense of responsibility towards protecting and preserving ocean health for current and future generations.

“With a vision to a prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient, circular and net-zero emission Blue Economy sector, EIT Climate-KIC and its member Community have been working in the past 15 years on a diverse portfolio of education, innovation and entrepreneurship activities, to make this vision a reality,” says Loloni.

A large portfolio of ocean projects and programmes

In 2020, EIT Climate-KIC won the 2020 Climate and Energy Award from the International Association of Ports and Harbours with the LOOP ports project, which facilitated the transition to a more circular economy in the ports sector.  

The following year, we launched another award-winning MENA Maritime Accelerator programme together with expert organisations from our Community to support selected start-ups with funding, training, peer-to-peer coaching and theme-specific mentoring, to drive maritime innovation.

In 2022, we run a Blue Economy ClimAccelerator in the Pacific Islands, to promote local entrepreneurs and start-ups to grow their innovative blue economy-related ideas in the fields of tourism, energy production, fishing, shipping, aquaculture, renewable energy, and port activity across seven different countries in the Pacific region. This year we will release the Pacific Islands Ecosystem Report, which investigates the conditions that can enable the blue economy climate entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Pacific to flourish.

Looking at the ports as key agents for the sustainability transition, we have also run whole-system transformation programmes (“Deep Demonstration of Resilient, Net-Zero-Emissions Maritime Hubs”) with the Port of Valencia, the Port of Piraeus, the Port of Lavrio and representatives from the Cyprus shipping sector, summarising key steps in a ‘Guideline on Systems Innovation for Ports’ (to be published). We have introduced the Blue Economy as a key theme of our international ClimateLaunchpad green business competition, and have initiated citizen engagement for climate action (Climathon) in various port-cities and islands (including Piraeus, Valencia, Lavrio, Ravenna, Malta, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Japan, Las Palmas, New Zealand)

EIT Climate-KIC has also collaborated with UNESCO on the delivery of workshops at both the EU4Ocean Winter School on Ocean Literacy & Collaboration in Venice in 2022, and the Summer School on Ocean Literacy in Matosinhos in 2023. We are now getting ready to participate in the next iteration of the Summer School in Malmo in 2024, to discuss systems thinking and stakeholder engagement in the maritime sector.

These are only a few examples of EIT Climate-KIC’s commitment to bringing stakeholders together to enact meaningful change in ocean management.

“By joining the EU4Ocean Platform, we’re thrilled to be part of the expanding effort in Europe to understand our oceans better, recognising that oceans are a vital buffer for the impacts of climate change and key to regeneration of our environment, food and water systems. We’re eager to strengthen existing ocean literacy projects, connect with different stakeholders interested in oceans, and be a part of a community dedicated to building and disseminating ocean knowledge. Working together with other groups and individuals, we aim to grow ocean literacy efforts and make a bigger impact through shared resources and collaboration,” said Kirsten Dunlop. 

For more information on EIT Climate-KIC ocean activities, contact Maria Loloni (maria.loloni(@)climate.org)