Programme

Coastal Futures provides the most comprehensive annual review, briefing and pointer to future trends for coastal and marine practitioners.

Coastal Futures Conference 2024

An inclusive future for our seas 
24th & 25th January, 2024 The Royal Institution, London & online

Programme

Delegate Notes

The Coastal Futures 2024 conference will provide the most comprehensive annual review, briefing and pointer to future trends for coastal and marine practitioners.

The theme of this 31st conference will be the need for inclusivity in coastal and marine management.

The conference will include six sessions across two days with pioneering speakers covering the current issues, barriers and opportunities for delivering sustainability.

Leading organisations across government, industry, consultants, academia, NGOs and the voluntary sector will be presenting alongside a strong line-up of influential keynote and sector leads to support this years’ inclusivity theme.

Session 1: Community Aspirations
Are coastal and marine practitioners responding to the inclusivity agenda?
Speakers will navigate the future for coastal communities facing the extremes of social and economic inequality, environmental stewardship and how we can support a ‘just transition’ through the management of our coasts and seas.

Session 2: Capitalising on Values
How will knowledge of ‘values’ make a difference to our prospects?
Speakers will consider how to bring the latest progress in evidence development tools for natural and social capital into mainstream decision-making, and whether they will support inclusivity and longer-term investment.

Session 3: Delivering a Sustainable Blue Economy
What approaches to decision-making are needed to balance the need for social and economic benefit alongside environmental recovery?
From large scale, nationally driven new developments, to small scale community-led businesses, speakers will consider how to ensure that economic activities are environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.

Session 4: Evidence Assessment into Action
In response to the latest evidence and assessments, how will we drive action?
Speakers will present a UK perspective on the recently launched OSPAR Quality Status Report for the NE Atlantic, the pollution challenges we face and the role of the UK Marine Strategy and other approaches to protect and recover the state of our seas.

Session 5: Restoration Prioritisation
Are we evolving the right solutions to deliver marine restoration and a nature-positive approach to decision-making?
Speakers will highlight recent efforts to realise restoration ambitions including new mapping, tools and techniques to help prioritise recovery from estuaries to the coast and offshore.

Session 6: Mobilising Equitable Management
How do we mobilise engagement in strategic marine resource management and choose between priorities?
Speakers will offer perspectives on progress in marine spatial prioritisation and how to ensure that blue economy opportunities involve coastal communities, whilst protecting and restoring the quality of our coasts and seas.

Finally, we will present the first Bob Earll Award which recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to ocean and coastal management. This is a new award which recognises an outstanding contribution to ocean and coastal management.

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