Renewable energy on the high seas – science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations for regulatory and governance challenges

Renewable energy on the high seas – science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations for regulatory and governance challenges

The high seas are those marine areas under no State's jurisdiction. So far, all marine renewable energy (RE) activity is being conducted under State's jurisdiction. However, recent advances in technology are raising the prospect of carrying out RE activity on the high seas. Currently, only seabed mining activities in the Area have been regulated. The Area is the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of State's jurisdiction. From the legal viewpoint, the main gap is a lack of an international regulatory framework, informed by participatory mechanisms and supported by scientific evidence, for RE activities on the high seas, especially regarding their environmental and social impacts. The primary project objective (O) is to provide the scientific community and policymakers with science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations in support of the development of RE regulation on the high seas. Two specific Os are set to complement the primary O, namely: O1 To advance the use of systematic consultation processes that facilitates research at the crossroads of marine sciences and law. O2 To advance critical knowledge and understanding of environmental pressing issues comparable to the regulation of RE on the high seas, such as deep-sea mining in the Area. A multistep innovative methodology will be adopted, by integrating marine scientific knowledge, consultative processes, and advanced critical research in the subject matter. A case study (interdisciplinary and participatory) involving marine scientists, indigenous and coastal communities and policy makers will be conducted onboard the Research Vessel KronPrins Haakon at the beginning of the project. The case study outcomes will be analysed through critical legal analysis to build a knowledge base for policy recommendations. The project will advance the PI’s career in an international research environment, allowing her to generate independent, high-quality, and reproducible results.