A quarter of the European Union’s electricity needs will be generated from wind and hydro power by 2050

The Commission has presented a plan for oceans, seas, industries and coastal sectors, the so-called blue economy, that if the European Union develops a sustainable ocean energy architecture based on wind, heat, waves and tides, in 2050, the European Union will be able to generate a quarter of its electricity supply.

The European Union Commission proposes that tackling the climate crisis requires healthy seas, the resources of which must be exploited in a sustainable manner, with the aim of creating alternatives to fossil fuels and traditional food production.

To achieve these goals, all sectors of the blue economy must mitigate their environmental and climate impact, whether it is fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, shipping, port activities or shipbuilding, they write.

The approach also sets out an agenda for a blue economy, which aims, among other things, to achieve climate neutrality and pollution-free. It will also protect 30% of the marine areas in the European Union, which is expected to reflect the loss of biodiversity, increase fish stocks, and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptive capacity to the effects of climate change. Finally, it will set up a forum to coordinate dialogue between marine facility operators and scientists involved in fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, tourism, renewable energy and other activities.

The European Union Commission has also adopted new strategic guidelines to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of aquaculture in the European Union. The guidelines outline how the sector can be developed in a way that improves its environmental and climate performance, as well as its competitiveness and resilience. The proposed guidelines will also support the significant expansion of organic aquaculture. They said the aquaculture sector is capable of producing healthy foods with an overall smaller climate and environmental impact than wild products.

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