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A new collaborative project between the Green Digital Finance Alliance (GDFA), HUB Ocean, and CBS has recently been launched. Funded by the Velux Foundation, "Making Oceans Count II " (MOC2) will develop much-needed blue indicators and metrics for measuring impacts and dependencies from human activities on nature. Ocean assets metrics are parameters or measurements used to assess the health, productivity, and sustainability of ocean resources. Through a systematic data-driven process, MOC2 will address the needs from future regulatory frameworks and ESG standards geared specifically towards the finance sector. With a primary focus on Denmark and the Nordics, the program is poised to generate insights with global relevance for a well-supported, sustainable blue economy.
The consortium has outlined five strategic work packages to pursue a healthier marine environment in Danish and European waters. The work packages will address the needs of the sustainable blue economy and finance actors, expand the use of asset-level data for ocean activities, unlock scientific marine and environmental data, research key platforms for sharing metrics, and ensure that ESG and finance professionals are equipped to prioritize ocean health.
Associate Professor Kristjan Jespersen, along with Postdoctoral Researcher Kedar Uttam, represent Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in the MOC2 project. Building on their previous involvement in MOC1, the researchers will focus on scoping and addressing the needs of the sustainable blue economy and finance. Their goal is to ensure that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) professionals, as well as those in the financial sector, are well-prepared to integrate ocean health considerations into financial services and blue economy activities.
The long-term objective of the project is to harness the potential of ocean-related data to develop insightful blue metrics for investors and industries affected by ocean conditions. These metrics aim to produce positive impacts on the marine environment and assist these stakeholders in adapting to changes in environmental conditions and regulatory frameworks. The project seeks to bridge the current divide between environmental and climate data, public data platforms, regulatory developments, and the actual practices of the financial and private sectors. This integration is intended to enhance the effective use of data in financing a sustainable blue economy and maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
The Green Digital Finance Alliance, HUB Oceans, and Copenhagen Business School invite industry and science community stakeholders to join this ambitious journey. By developing and leveraging insightful blue metrics, "Making Oceans Count II" aims to make a tangible, positive impact on the marine environment, enabling adaptation to the evolving environmental and regulatory landscape.
For further information about Making Oceans Count II, contact GDFA at ocean@gdfalliance.org or Kristjan Jespersen at kj.msc@cbs.dk.
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