Hi there —
As the year comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to thank this extraordinary community. We began building the Blue Climate Collective this summer, and in a short period of time, our network has grown to more than 75 incredible start-ups advancing ocean-based solutions to solve the climate crisis. The member updates below demonstrate the diverse, far-reaching progress and promise of this community and how the collective ingenuity and innovative approaches of our members are driving a more sustainable future in every corner of the planet.
We were encouraged to see many new commitments and conversations related to this work over the past few weeks at COP28 in Dubai. To take just one example, addressing emissions from high-emitting industries like global shipping was on the agenda across several sessions. With shipping accounting for 3% of global emissions, we expect this will continue to be a major focus area at the Our Ocean Conference this April in Greece — a country whose companies control a remarkable 25% of global shipping.
Fulfilling numerous other key commitments reached in Dubai — including transitioning away from fossil fuels and tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 — will depend on embracing the power and potential of the ocean. Business and government leaders will need to halt the expansion of offshore oil drilling and harness clean, renewable offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy to keep the planet on a pathway toward realizing the Paris Agreement. Together with other ocean-based solutions, these initiatives, when scaled, can tackle one-third of the emissions gap we need to close to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius target alive.You can learn more about some of the vital announcements from COP28 in our on-the-ground recaps, including a major win for climate-vulnerable nations and the pavilion we co-designed with our campaign partner, the Alliance of Small Island States; financial investments that are advancing the transition to renewable energy and decarbonizing high-emitting industries; and new commitments to curb methane emissions and protect more than 15 million hectares of mangroves. We’re also thrilled to share a new video we released during COP28 highlighting ocean-based climate solutions, narrated by Julia Marsh, the CEO and cofounder of Collective member Sway.
We have much more work to do in the coming year, but we are so excited about the progress made over the last few months and grateful to have a powerful community of start-ups, stakeholders, and supporters on board for this mission. Together, we can continue to elevate and embrace the ocean to help heal the planet.
End-of-year member updates:
Ocean-friendly kelp snacks brand 12 Tides is now available nationwide in the U.S. at Whole Foods Markets.
AW-Energy, in partnership with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions (Pty) Ltd., has taken a significant step forward on their WaveRoller pilot project in Namibia, aimed at supporting the country’s goal of generating 70% of electricity from renewables by 2030.
Germany-based BettaF!sh is introducing its TU-NAH can product in German and Swiss retail markets, including Müller, ROSSMANN Online, REWE Online, and Coop. The company develops plant-based tuna made from regenerative seaweed for a healthier ocean. Learn more about their products and where you can find them here.
Blue Ocean Gear was awarded two grants, totaling $2 million, by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to continue their work of building a universal tracking system to detect and locate lost or entangled fishing gear.
B'ZEOS was recognized at the Ebro Talent: Caring for Innovation event for their eco-friendly, seaweed-based packaging. The program strives to promote, encourage, and support innovation in Spain’s food sector, including alternatives to plastics in products.
Desolenator was selected as a #Future100 award winner. The initiative, spearheaded by the UAE Ministry Of Economy, celebrates the top 100 startups propelling the UAE towards a sustainable future driven by innovation and resilience.
Sustainable packaging company Evoware recently exhibited their various products, from seaweed-based packaging and edible rice straws to cassava bags and their in-development seaweed-based plastic pellets, at the Trade Expo Indonesia. The company has added distribution partners in Malaysia and Australia, and is actively seeking more partners.
LOLIWARE was named a winner of the Single-Use Plastics Challenge hosted by Google, where they had the opportunity to test their products at select Google foodspaces.
Members LOLIWARE, Notpla, and Zerocircle have joined forces with several other sustainable packaging companies to call on UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiators to recognize natural polymer materials as a key tool in the fight against plastic pollution. The Natural Polymers Group focuses on scaling innovative solutions derived from plants and seaweeds to replace traditional plastics.
Oscilla Power recently installed a 1/6th-scale Triton wave energy converter prototype off the coast of Maine. The project will assess design and performance, informing the ongoing engineering of the company’s full-scale Triton system.
Last month, Sway teamed up with EcoEnclose to launch a new product: 100% recycled kraft paper retail boxes with 100% biobased Sway seaweed windows. Additionally, Sway CEO and Cofounder Julia Marsh joined the 5 Gyres State of the Science webinar as an expert panelist to discuss biomaterials and their role in the shift away from fossil-fuel based plastics.
CEO of Symbrosia Alexia Akbay was recognized by Innovation30: Young Climate Innovators Shaping the Future. The initiative, led by UNICEF and a consortium of leading global accelerators, spotlights 24 transformative climate solutions, developed by leaders under 30, shaping a net-zero future.
Seaweed-based biomaterials company Zerocircle was named the global winner of the #CleanTech 2023 pitch competition, a climate award powered by the UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP). The program was established to promote innovation and entrepreneurship to address urgent environmental challenges for a climate-resilient future.
Thank you for being a part of our community. Wishing you a restful holiday season and a happy, meaningful new year!
