Lloyd's Register Foundation

10/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/21/2026 12:46

New global report calls for safety to be placed at the heart of sustainable ocean growth

A new global report from the Ocean Centres, a network of nationally led partnerships working to strengthen safety across ocean industries, is calling for safety to be recognised as a foundation of sustainable ocean development rather than an afterthought.

Drawing on evidence gathered through Ocean Centres in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines, the report brings together insights from more than 4,100 workshop participants across businesses, governments, academia, civil society, labour organisations and coastal communities.

The report brings together findings from the Ocean Centres initiative, established through a partnership between the United Nations Global Compact and Lloyd's Register Foundation. It identifies common challenges affecting ocean industries including workforce capability, ageing infrastructure, climate pressures, governance and access to finance, while highlighting opportunities for safer and more resilient growth.

While each country has its own context and priorities, stakeholders identified several common challenges, including workforce capability and safety, ageing infrastructure, climate-related risks, fragmented governance and barriers to finance and investment.

The report argues that safety is not only about preventing harm. Stronger safety systems can improve resilience and productivity, support investment and access to finance, and create the conditions for long-term sustainable growth.

Ruth Boumphrey, Chief Executive, Lloyd's Register Foundation said:

"This Global Report, together with seven National Reports from the Ocean Centres, provides evidence of country-level safety challenges and opportunities. The task now is to turn that evidence into practical solutions, partnerships and investment.

"Building a safe and sustainable ocean economy is not only a policy, business or finance challenge. Engineers, planners, architects, scientists, educators and technical institutions all play a critical role across ocean systems. For sustainable ocean economies to fulfil their potential, safety must shape growth, not follow behind it."

The report finds that similar safety challenges are emerging across shipping, ports, fishing, aquaculture and offshore renewables, despite differences in geography, industry maturity and national context. It concludes that safety should be integrated into how ocean economies are planned, financed and developed.

The Ocean Centres initiative is now moving into its next phase, focused on translating evidence and recommendations into partnerships, national action plans and practical solutions to strengthen safety across ocean industries.

Lloyd's Register Foundation published this content on October 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 21, 2026 at 18:47 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]