Integrating oceans into climate policy: Any green new deal needs a splash of blue

• DOI: 10.1111/conl.12716
• Publication Date: 2020-04-21T22:02:07Z
• Authors: Steven J. Dundas; Arielle S. Levine; Rebecca L. Lewison; Angee N. Doerr; Crow White; Aaron W. E. Galloway; Corey Garza; Elliott L. Hazen; Jacqueline Padill...; Jameal F. Samhouri; Ana Spalding; Adrian Stier; J. Wilson White
• Keywords: Economics; FOS: Political science; FOS: Law; QH1-199.5; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law; Oceanography; 7. Clean energy; 01 natural sciences; Environmental science; Green New Deal; Natural resource economics; 11. Sustainability; Climate change; Business; Importance of Marine Spatial Planning in Ecosystem Management; blue economy; offshore wind; Environmental resource management; climate; oceans; Political science; Biology; Environmental planning; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; Resilience of Coral Reef Ecosystems to Climate Change; Ecology; Politics; General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution; Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Ecosystems; FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences; 15. Life on land; Earth and Planetary Sciences; aquaculture; 13. Climate action; FOS: Biological sciences; Climate policy; Environmental Science; Physical Sciences; Ocean Governance; Portfolio; Law; Finance

AbstractRecent warnings from scientists suggest there is limited time to enact policies to avert wide‐ranging ecological and social damage from climate change. In the United States, discussions about comprehensive national policies to avert climate change have begun, with “Green New Deal” proposals and climate plans put forth by members of Congress and presidential candidates. Oceans are largely absent or separate from these nascent policy proposals. Here, we highlight a policy framework to develop terrestrial and ocean‐integrated policies that can complement and enhance terrestrial‐focused initiatives focused on four specific sectors: 1) energy; 2) transportation; 3) food security; and 4) habitat restoration. Given political friction and constrained budgets, an integrated policy framework offers greater potential to achieve a portfolio of mitigation and adaptation goals in a cost‐effective manner, beyond what could be realized with marine or terrestrial policy solutions alone.