Utforskande av det juridiskt-naturvetenskapliga nexus som utgör förutsättning för reglering av sjöfart i relation till det nya globala havsavtalet (BBNJ)

Forskningsprojekt, 2025 – 2026

Pending the entry into force of the historic new global oceans treaty, the BBNJ Agreement, adopted in 2023, the management of the common ocean stands at a critical juncture, establishing a new paradigm. In order to protect the biodiversity of the high seas, the new treaty provides legal obligations to assess the cumulative environmental impact of maritime activities and imposes procedures for establishing marine sanctuaries. The BBNJ thus forms the legal pathway to implement central elements of Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular the objective of ensuring the protection of 30 percent of marine waters by 2030. These rules, which are likely to enter into force in a short number of years, build on scientific criteria and thresholds which have yet to be developed. While the climate impact of shipping has been extensively discussed, its impact on biodiversity, particularly in the high seas remain poorly understood. The formative period leading up to the implementation of the BBNJ is thus a window of opportunity for ensuring that the new global regulative standard is based on rigorous research.
This project will strengthen this legal-scientific nexus by integrating a developed scientific understanding of the impact of shipping in high seas ecosystems with assessments of what this entails for the legal obligations  of the BBNJ, based on interpretation of its environmental elements. The research output will thus provide learnings for the implementation of the new global rules in relation to maritime transport, thereby furthering legal predictability and sustainable shipping. The project connects competence behind pioneering studies on biodiversity impact of shipping with experience from the negotiation of the BBNJ. It is closely connected to and will be able to disseminate its results in global research fora and multilateral cooperation. The project thus has a high potential for impact in a critical phase for policy development.