Last week, the UN’s international Ocean Treaty officially entered into force. The treaty has a clear ambition: at least 30 percent of the world’s oceans must be protected by 2030. With this, countries are jointly taking an important step towards restoring biodiversity and preventing further degradation of marine ecosystems.
Protect and use
The North Sea is one of the most heavily used seas in the world. Wind farms, cables and pipelines, shipping, fishing, nature reserves, and defense activities compete for space. The Ocean Convention emphasizes that protection is no longer a side issue, but a fully-fledged component of future sea use.
At the same time, the energy transition demands acceleration. Offshore wind, new forms of water-based energy, nature development, and monitoring technologies must be tested and scaled up. This can only happen if protection and utilization are not viewed as opposites, but as components of a single, integrated approach.
From policy to practice
The Ocean Convention provides direction at the international level, but its application to national and regional seas like the North Sea requires concrete choices. Collaboration between governments, knowledge institutions, and businesses plays a crucial role here. Test sites, living labs, and field labs form the link between policy ambitions and practical implementation.
Looking ahead
The Ocean Convention doesn’t mark an end point, but the beginning of a new phase focused on careful management of the sea. For Campus@Sea, it confirms the need for responsible multi-use: innovation that takes nature into account, and protection that allows for learning and development.
The coming years will demonstrate how protection and innovation can go hand in hand in the North Sea. Testing, measuring, and collaboration are essential in this regard.
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