Gabon has completed refinancing $500 million of its national debt for marine protection purposes. It is expected that this Blue Bond will generate $163 million in financing for new marine conservation efforts over the next 15 years, unlocking $5 million each year and creating an endowment expected to grow to $88 million by 2038. The conservation funding unlocked will finance a participatory Marine Spatial Plan, led by the government, and build upon the “Gabon Bleu” initiative to expand the network of designated Marine Protected Areas from 26% to 30% of its ocean. The funding will also contribute to ongoing monitoring, effective management of the protected areas, and strengthen Gabon’s sustainable blue economy.

The city council in Yokohama (Japan) has given the green light for a partnership with Tokyo Gas and the MHI group to trial CO2 capture and re-use. The gas will be captured at the Tsurumi power plant, before being shipped to a methanisation plant. The process will be powered by fully renewable electricity generated from biomass. The project aims to study the feasibility of this solution across the value chain, while establishing how much CO2 could potentially be captured and recycled. Yokohama city council is also responsible for the local port.

A new Maritime Innovation Center is to open in the oldest building at the port of Seattle (USA), following a $32 million renovation. The new centre will host a start-up incubator and training courses for port industry workers, and will promote collaboration between entrepreneurs, investors, and future employees working on maritime projects. Seattle Port Authority aims to help the local community by capitalising on the potential of the blue economy, which a UN study claims is worth some $1.3 trillion annually. Interpretive signage will be installed around the building, to inform visitors about its history.

The State authorities in New South Wales (Australia) have been looking at ways of redesigning NSW ports to integrate them into their city more effectively, and bring them closer to local residents. In Sydney, a new park and cycleway are set to be created along the port.  Both will be created by First Nation designers, and will showcase aboriginal culture and heritage. The project also aims to give residents easier access to the port precinct. The port authority has been nominated for an award following work to restore a footpath along one of its quays. In addition to the restoration work, a guided tour has also been created, and quickly become a hit with local residents.

In the port of Rotterdam (The Netherlands), nature and biodiversity coexist with the most extreme industrial environment. Despite the obvious habitat challenges, different species of animals demonstrate a fascinating adaptation capacity to thrive. This is the main argument of the film “Wild Port of Europe – Nature on the Edge”, released in 2022 by Willem Berents from the Netherlands and Melanie Kutzke from Germany. The filmmakers took five years to capture the awkward and unexpected nature that survived in an extremely artificialized environment. The documentary challenges dominant narratives on societal views of nature, against romanticized ideas. The film has been recently nominated to the “Green Screen Festival”, the most popular festival for nature documentaries in Europe that has been running since 2007.