The US Blue New Deal

What does it mean for just transitions, sustainability, and resilience of the blue economy

Bibliographic Data

ID4706689
AuthorsStephen Axon (0000-0003-1166-6118, Department of the Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut USA), Amanda Bertana (0000-0003-4582-3855, Department of Sociology Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut USA), Manlio Graziano (0000-0001-8568-6125, Southern Connecticut State University), Marcello Graziano (0000-0001-9463-9785, Department of Management and International Business Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut USA), Emma Cro, Emma L Cro (0000-0002-5855-2145, Southern Connecticut State University), Emma Cross (0000-0002-0974-3287, Department of the Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut USA), Allie Smith (0000-0001-8355-3097, Department of the Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Connecticut USA), Kayleigh Axon (The Foote School New Haven Connecticut USA), Alysia Wakefield (0000-0001-6307-2157, Department of Marketing University of Liverpool Liverpool UK)
Year2023
Volume189
Issue2
Pages271-282
Publication date2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGeographical Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0016-7398 • E-ISSN: 1475-4959
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/geoj.12434
OpenAlexW4210801489
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited65

The ocean and coasts are largely absent from the 'Green New Deal' proposal. In response to the limited attention paid to the sustainability and equitable governance approaches of the blue economy, a US 'Blue New Deal' has been proposed aiming to protect the health of the ocean and support coastal communities' adaptation to climate change. The Blue New Deal emerged as a central policy proposal from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren to enhance the role of the blue economy while simultaneously addressing the climate crisis. Through a just transitions analysis, this article evaluates the proposal for a US Blue New Deal - as designed by Senator Elizabeth Warren - that would be applied towards enhancing socioeconomic resiliency, environmental justice, and addressing social inequities. As part of a critical policy analysis evaluating the areas of focus Warren's Blue New Deal presents, environmental justice and sustainability are central to the success of managing, and enhancing the role of, the blue economy. The challenges facing the Blue New Deal reflect a 'one size fits all' federal approach that has implications for addressing multifaceted obstacles in key sectors of the blue economy, its governance, and tackling interconnected crises that exacerbate socioeconomic inequities and vulnerabilities of marginalised coastal communities. This article proposes a blue justice framework for the Blue New Deal that seeks to address the tensions and contradictions that exist in its current form and indicates how a comprehensive policy framework can enhance the sustainability and equitable involvement of the blue economy

Climate change · Climate justice · Corporate governance · Economics · Environmental justice · Management · Political science · Small Island Developing States · Sociology · Sustainability · Arctic and Russian Policy Studies · Coastal and Marine Management · International Maritime Law Issues · Law

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