The decarbonization of the Blue Economy faces significant and complex challenges, however, these difficulties also offer countless opportunities for development and wealth creation, particularly in regions highly dependent on the Blue Economy and in need of economic diversification, such as the Canary Islands. This was the main conclusion of the Circular Economy and Blue Economy session, part of the International Ecoislas Forum 2025 program, recently held in Gran Canaria.
The panel was moderated by Alejandro Romero, Renewable Resources Project Coordinator at PLOCAN (Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands), and featured experts Sulev Alajoe (General Director of the Estonian Islands Energy Agency), Emiel Schut (Commercial Director of Wavepiston), and Daniel del Castillo (Corporate Director of Sustainability and Environment at Navantia Seanergies).
Among other contributions, the importance of decarbonizing port environments was highlighted, emphasizing their fundamental role in island territories and their driving effect on the rest of the economy. Additionally, the need for international and institutional cooperation to address technological challenges in the sector was underscored.
Participants also emphasized the necessity of coordinated action among all sector stakeholders, including the political class, to provide an adequate legislative framework to drive this transformation.
