Shaping Blue Growth: Social Sciences at the Nexus Between Marine Renewables and Energy Policy

Abstract

The development of the Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) industry is part of the EC Blue Growth Strategy. It brings together a range of relationships across people, sea, and energy, from developers to local communities and policymakers. This calls for diverse approaches, moving beyond an oppositional mindset to one that can establish an inclusive community around MRE development. Ownership of the marine environment is a legal issue, but MRE devices operate within a cultural and emotional

The many sizes and characters of the Blue Economy

“…Secondly, scenario developments (Reed et al, 2013) at the regional level (latu sensu) can help bypassing the issue related to stakeholder identification and un-, or partially-, informed decision making. These scenarios should be developed in via mixed bottom-up/top-down approach, similar to the one suggested by Kerr et al (2018) for marine energy developments. Of course, these are not silver bullets, but rather, first steps.…”