Jobs and Skills for the Blue Economy

By Catlyne Haddaoui, Senior Associate, Just Transition, Climate, Economics and Finance Program, World Resources Institute; Dr. Oliver Ashford, Senior Program Associate, Ocean Program, World Resources Institute; Liesbet Steer, Executive Director, People in the New Economy, Systemiq; and Teresa Labonia, Director, Systemiq

The transition to a low-carbon and nature-positive economy is not just about technologies and targets. It is about people and their livelihoods. It will reshape labor markets around the world.

As economies decarbonize and invest in adaptation, the transition could create hundreds of millions of jobs globally over the coming decade. For ocean-centric sectors alone, including fisheries and aquaculture, offshore wind and marine and coastal tourism, this could amount to 93 million additional jobs globally by 2050.

In WRI and Systemiq's recent work with partners on jobs and the future of work, we identified a clear pattern. No matter the sector, the shift to a sustainable economy hinges on people-their skills and the systems that help them succeed. This insight runs through two recent reports we have produced with partners: Jobs and Skills for the New Economy: An Action Agenda for a People-Centered Climate Transition and The future of the workforce in a sustainable ocean economy.

Putting jobs and livelihoods at the center

A successful transition depends on anticipating how sectors will evolve and preparing workers for the opportunities ahead. As technological pathways become clearer, governments and industries are better able to anticipate the composition of the workforce and the skills needed, and to begin reflecting these needs in climate and nature strategies.

Done well, this can ensure that emerging industries create quality jobs while supporting workers and communities through economic and social change.

In the case of the ocean economy, momentum is growing behind the development of comprehensive blue skills strategies and ocean economy accounts at national and regional levels to tackle weak ocean data systems and plan the expansion of current workforce capabilities to meet future needs.

Governments can integrate these efforts into Sustainable Ocean Plans (comprehensive, country-driven frameworks designed to sustainably manage 100% of a nation's ocean area under national jurisdiction) to ensure that people are placed at the center of the transition to a sustainable ocean economy.

Designing new skills systems for a fast-changing economy

The scale and speed of the transition demand workforce systems that are more flexible than traditional education and training models. Many workers will need to move between sectors and acquire new technical capabilities, much as labor markets are beginning to adjust to the deployment of AI.

This calls for innovation in how skills are developed.

Partnerships with industry and educational institutions, modular training pathways and continuous reskilling programs can help align education systems with emerging industries and ensure workers can adapt as technologies and sectors evolve.

In the ocean economy, governments may consider launching national training, education and reskilling/upskilling programs to build capacity in key sectors such as offshore renewable energy, aquaculture and biotechnology. These programs should equip vulnerable communities with skills for sustainable practices and help displaced workers to shift from sectors facing long-term transition.

There is value in government partnerships with industry, academic institutions, financial institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to design curricula and training programs that match evolving industry demand. For example, the Canadian government has launched a Blue Economy Strategy to support reskilling and workforce development, with particular focus on digital transformation and support for traditionally underrepresented groups including Indigenous communities.

Investing in people to power the transition

Significant investment in jobs and skills must become a central pillar of economic policies and climate finance. This means increasing public and private investment in workforce development and inclusive job creation while ensuring international climate and development finance also supports skills systems-not only infrastructure and technology.

In the ocean economy, governments may consider offering tax breaks and subsidies for sustainable marine industries, working with financial institutions to educate investors about ocean economy opportunities, and developing public-private ocean finance partnerships.

Industry should prioritize collaborations with academic and research institutions, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), including the World Bank, to invest in developing and deploying cutting-edge solutions and sustainable technologies like offshore renewable energy and decarbonized shipping and ports. NGOs can help create innovation hubs to foster investment in sustainable technologies and solutions. For example, 1000 Ocean Startups was founded by a coalition of NGOs to scale and support start-ups that develop and deploy critical innovations for ocean health. It is now the largest global ocean innovation network and is committed to backing at least 1,000 ocean start-ups by 2030.

The transition to a sustainable economy, including a thriving ocean economy, offers a major opportunity to create new jobs and strengthen livelihoods. But realizing this potential will require deliberate choices.

Governments, industry, IGOs, NGO, education systems and finance actors will need to work together to anticipate workforce needs, align training systems with emerging sectors and invest at scale in people and skills so that the transition truly benefits workers and communities.