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 per cent 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 per cent 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
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
Maria Loloni, Maritime and Industrial Symbiosis Programme Lead at EIT Climate-KIC
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, EIT Climate-KIC launched another award-winning MENA Maritime Accelerator programme together with expert organisations from the EIT Community to support selected start-ups with funding, training, peer-to-peer coaching and theme-specific mentoring, to drive maritime innovation.
In 2022, Blue Economy ClimAccelerator in the Pacific Islands was launched, 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.
Looking at the ports as key agents for the sustainability transition, EIT Climate-KIC has 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).
These are only a few examples of EIT Climate-KIC’s commitment to bringing stakeholders together to enact meaningful change in ocean management.
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