Current and upcoming policies relevant to advancing a circular blue bioeconomy in Iceland and Norway and specifically for the fisheries and aquaculture value chains have been systematically reviewed. Especially highlighting policy misalignment at different levels (regional, national, sectoral) and policy gaps. This task (T1.2) links to and extends governance analysis which has been based on multi stakeholder interviews conducted in the SMARTCHAIN project. The reporting of this review will be included in a scientific paper to be submitted before the end of the project. In the final months, the focus will be on T1.3 Content analysis of company reports. Extending ongoing work, the aim is to conclude a systematic examination on metrics (indicators) that companies use to measure their performance in terms of circularity (where available) and sustainability (as related to circularity); which targets have companies set and whether company level actions can contribute meaningfully to the advancement of circular blue bioeconomy strategies in Iceland and Norway. This activity links to work on sustainability indicators conducted in the Smartchain project and the results will be included in a scientific paper. The work further explores policy (multilevel government policy) and management issues (CSR reports) in relation to circularity in blue bioeconomy value chains.
Finally the results will be presented at the final stakeholder event (T1.2) at the end of the Smartchain project in September which will be organized as an online webinar.
The top-up call provided us the opportunity to deepen the analysis on the topic of governance (policy and companies’ management – CSR reporting) more than was initially planned. Companies’ CSR and management is an important aspect of governance that needs more research in particular due to the increased demand for mandatory reporting (e.g. the recently mandated EU reporting standards (EU-ESRS)). The analysis has shown that companies are increasingly reporting on sustainability issues, but the topic of circularity has yet to fully be implemented despite the increased policy focus.
Coordinator:
Nína M. Saviolidis