New Blue Deal for UK coasts

A new project led by the New Economics Foundation calls for a transformation of our approach to managing the UK's marine assets.

The Blue New Deal initiative aims to show how coastal areas can be revitalised to deliver good jobs and economic sustainability for coastal communities in the future.

Earlier this summer, NEF launched a website - www.bluenewdeal.org - to showcase examples from the UK coast including the Community of Arran Seabed Trust and Eco-tourism on Mull. They are now inviting people to submit stories to help populate the website.

These ‘coastal stories’ can be by businesses, local authorities, community groups, non-governmental organisations or initiatives by multiple partners. They should include innovative and sustainable approaches to coastal and marine management already happening around the UK coast, which are delivering benefits to local communities.

Fernanda Balata, Project Lead, Coastal and Marine Environment, New Economics Foundation (NEF) said:

"As an island nation, the UK has access to a considerable wealth of natural resources. But our failure to properly manage them has told a story of unfulfilled potential — fewer jobs, lower revenues, unnecessary public costs, and unsustainable coastal economies. We want to deliver more and better jobs for coastal communities and the marine environment plays a key role to help achieve that.

"Over the next year, we will work with actors across the UK to identify solutions and practical measures to improve the health of our marine and coastal ecosystems to address these challenges. There are great examples of innovative and sustainable approaches already happening around the UK coast — we need to put in place the incentives and policies to encourage action on a national scale."

In the next year, NEF will be putting together an action plan – key measures and actions to help turn the vision into reality – which will be co-developed by a number of UK-wide coastal stakeholders. On 22 September, NEF will host an event in London to officially mark the launch of the initiative.

If you would like to learn more about the Blue New Deal initiative or share an inspiring story reconciling employment creation with marine conservation, please get in touch with by emailing fernanda.balata@neweconomics.org.