A new report from the New Economics Foundation marks the launch of a UK-wide initiative to deliver stronger economies for UK coastal communities and restore the health of the marine environment.

The absence of social and environmental goals in key coastal and marine industries over the years has placed undue pressure on coastal economies, communities and the environment.

The Blue New Deal initiative, led by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), calls for a transformation of our approach to managing the UK’s wealth of marine assets. The project will show how coastal areas can be revitalised to deliver good jobs and economic sustainability for coastal communities in the future.

The Blue New Deal identifies five key policy areas that offer the opportunity to respond to the different socio-economic and environmental challenges that the UK’s coastal communities currently face. These include sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, innovative coastal management, renewable energy, responsible tourism, and re-connecting people with nature.

Over the next year, NEF will work with several partners – from local councils and national government departments, to entrepreneurs and industry representatives to develop a nationwide action plan.

This report draws on several examples of regional approaches that are already working across the UK. From investment in renewable energy to innovative management of our coastal environment, the project case studies included in the report demonstrate that it is possible to create more jobs and support sustainable business through a healthier marine environment.

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The New Economics Foundation (NEF) is an independent think tank, specialising in innovative economic thinking, with renewable and sustainable solutions that work for the environment.

The Blue New Deal aims to deliver stronger economies for UK coastal communities through a healthier marine environment.

The official Blue New Deal launch will take place in London, in September 2015, bringing together economic sectors, organisations and individuals to share ideas that are already working and to develop an action plan that will help turn the Blue New Deal vision into a reality.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is supporting NEF’s Blue New Deal initiative under our Valuing the Ocean strand, which seeks to improve collaboration across sectors and deepen understanding of the role of the ocean in human wellbeing in order to secure better protection and management of resources and prosperity for the long term.

Read the full report and its key findings here.

Visit the Blue New Deal website to engage further with this initiative.