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Nine principles for sustainable ocean practices

The ocean offers a new economic frontier. Yet our health is dependent on mutually maintaining the ocean’s health and utilizing its potential.

United in sustainable ocean activities across industries

Our seas contribute to food security, climate regulation and energy provision, and the potential for even further value creation is clear. There are vast opportunities for those who take advantage of new technologies to be at the forefront of this economic frontier. Yet, maintaining the balance between deep diving into the ocean’s potential and ensuring our next generations can also benefit from it is complex. We must manage the risks of over-exploitation, pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.


How this unfolds in practice is diverse across industries and therefore a baseline for sustainable practices must be established. This is why DNV signed the United Nation’s nine sustainable ocean principles earlier this year. Aligning ocean activities with these principles creates space for safe exploration. As a signatory we commit to providing both our customers with expertise on how to manage risks while safely exploring further and setting the standard for future generations. 


These principles enable sustainable and risk-managed utilization of ocean opportunities across industries, spanning ocean health and productivity, governance and engagement, and data and transparency. Read the nine sustainable ocean principles here. 


A history of enabling and regulating ocean opportunities 

On September 23rd and 24th DNV joins a panel and workshop at the UN’s official launch of the principles in New York. This is in addition to a history of collaboration with the UN, which is rooted in a mission to ensure our customers are provided with deep insight into how they can innovate safer, smarter and greener. 


It is vital that when we explore new ocean opportunities, we do so in ways that empower both today’s and future generations to create sustainable food and energy systems. Our report for the UN Global Compact, 'Global Goals, Ocean Opportunities’ details how we can improve ocean health, provide clean energy to people everywhere and make healthy food from the ocean available to all. Regulation is a key component to taking advantage of this new economic frontier at the same time as protecting it, and our report ‘Mapping ocean governance and regulation’ provides an overview on existing practices.

Services for the ocean space

Discover the services we provide within:

 

Environmental risk management

 

The seafood industry

 

Underwater technology