- Active project
Restorative marine economies
Encouraging restorative economies in Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine spaces
Project Leader | Duration | Budget |
---|---|---|
Drew Lohrer (NIWA) & Nigel Bradly (EnviroStrat) | January 2021 – September 2022 | $900,000 |
Overview
Healthy marine ecosystems require a marine economy that is committed to ecologically sustainable practices – and long-term economic use of marine resources depends on healthy marine ecosystems.
We are investigating how to build restorative economies in Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal and marine spaces.
‘Restorative economies' combine business activities and environmental restoration. They aim to foster new investments and business enterprises that reverse environmental degradation – instead of ignoring degradation or contributing to it.
Restorative economies actively seek to enhance the biodiversity and health of degraded ecosystems, going beyond the traditional economic concept of operating within environmental and biological constraints.
There is growing interest in restorative marine economy practices from:
- Iwi, communities and individuals interested in restoring their local environment
- Businesses aiming to reduce their environmental impact and increase their resilience through activity diversification
- The sustainable finance sector and councils interested in using environmental credits to spur sustainability solutions and generate benefits in their communities
However, moving towards restorative marine economies require investment, new science and technology, altered practices and regulations, and new measures of performance.
This project will develop knowledge, frameworks and decision-support tools to enable restorative marine economies to emerge. In addition to developing investment propositions, we will develop proof-of-concepts using place-based research, and build the relationships and roadmaps required for the future of the sector.
Research Team
Drew Lohrer (NIWA)
Nigel Bradly (EnviroStrat)
Richard Bulmer (NIWA)
Fabrice Stephenson (NIWA)
Emily Douglas (NIWA)
Cerasela Stancu (EnviroStrat)
Sandra Cortes Acosta (EnviroStrat)
John Reid (University of Canterbury)
Jason Mika (Massey University)
Ann Smith (EnviroStrat Associate, ex CEO Toitū Envirocare)
Izzy Brown (EnviroStrat)
Tahlia Bridger (EnviroStrat)
Nick Lewis (University of Auckland)
Jenny Hillman (University of Auckland)
Related News
- Seafood Magazine: Doing business by ‘doing good’ - 13 June 2022
- Interview with: Eva Siwicka - 21 October 2021
- Marine indigenous knowledge crucial for solving global challenges - 09 June 2021
- Blue economy: core research topics - 28 February 2020
Related Events
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Financing restorative marine economies: Insights from NZ finance and investment experts
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Webinar: Protect our future - perspectives from the UN Oceans conference
Location
This is a national project.
Timeline
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January 2021
Workshop with research partners and key experts/stakeholders -
July 2021
Review and meta-analyses of existing data on the New Zealand marine and coastal environment -
August 2021
Literature review on blue carbon markets, restorative economic models and ecosystem services knowledge assessment -
May 2022
Draft impact framework guidelines for restorative economies -
August 2022
Workshop with researchers, financial and investment experts to explore the seascape level impact investment framework -
November 2022
Application of the EBM-based impact investment framework in the Hauraki Gulf context -
December 2022
Summary report on pathways to uptake EBM-based and restorative economies