The G20 Environmental and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting was recently held in Bengaluru. Land degradation, blue economy, and circular economy were three focal points of discussions. Ashish Chaturvedi, Head - Environment, Energy and Resilience, UNDP India, in an interview with The Hindu spoke on blue economy and its relevance to the G20 forum.
What is the blue economy? How is it different from the idea of the green economy?
The blue economy essentially corresponds to economic activities that rely on the use of coastal and marine resources. Like the concept of green economy, it advocates balanced and sustainable use of these resources to minimise negative impacts upon the marine environment.
The idea of the blue economy emerged as nations began to recognise the criticality of the ocean and its resources, and the growing threats to the marine environment from climate change, marine pollution, and overexploitation.
Different countries have contextualised the blue economy differently based on their priorities, with several nations having incorporated concepts of social equity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation in their approach.
Global estimates show that ocean-related economic activities contribute around $1.5 trillion to the global economy per year. This is expected to double to $3 trillion per year by 2030.
What is the relevance of blue economy to the G20 forum?
The concept blue economy is highly relevant to the G20 forum because all G20 countries are coastal States and rely heavily on ocean resources for livelihoods and economic growth. Together, they account for around 45% of the world’s coastline and 21% of the world’s exclusive economic zones.
Therefore, ensuring a sustainable blue economy is essential to achieve the social and economic development goals of G20 countries which will cascade into larger impacts upon the global economy.
What does the Indian presidency aim to achieve through the discussions on blue economy within G20? What are the key priorities for India?
The Indian presidency aims to build on the discussions that were conducted and the action plans that were adopted during previous G20 presidencies on ocean-related issues. For instance, marine litter has been a recurring theme in the G20 forum in recent years, in 2017 the G20 adopted a Marine Litter Action Plan under the German presidency and later in 2019 under the Japanese presidency an implementation framework on marine litter was adopted. Building on this momentum, India has identified marine litter as a key priority under the broader ambit of blue economy. Additionally, India has identified conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems and Marine Spatial Planning as key priorities.
What is the role of UNDP and other organisations in facilitating the discussions and subsequent action on the blue economy within the G20?
The G20 comprises a diverse group of countries with varying national circumstances. They are also at different stages in their transition towards the blue economy. UNDP is working in almost all these countries to address conservation as well as economic issues around blue economy, and is creating platforms to encourage sub-national, regional and global discourses on pathways towards a sustainable blue economy. UNDP is also working on the ground to ensure climate adaptation for communities dependent upon the blue economy. In India for instance, we are working in Odisha, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh to enhance climate resilience of coastal communities through enhanced livelihoods, disaster preparedness and biodiversity conservation.
