IMO’s role and responsibilities in relation to ocean governance and the “blue economy” were highlighted by Stefan Micallef, Director of the IMO Marine Environment Division, during a panel discussion at the World Ocean Summit 2015 in Lisbon, Portugal (3-5 June). The session “Tug-of-war? The trade-offs in building a blue economy” centred on how to build a fully functioning blue economy, including the key challenges and possible conflicts.
The blue economy is a new global vision of the ocean and coasts as a source of economic growth, job creation and investment, and offers the balance of responsible investment in a sustainable ocean economy. The panel also featured a representative from the Summit’s organizers, The Economist, as well as the European Environment Agency, Royal Dutch Shell, and The Nature Conservancy.