Marine Delivery Routemap

The seabed and coastline are critical for the UK’s economy, nature restoration and the delivery of net zero commitments. It supports a huge range of activities and industries on which we all depend. As these demands continue to grow, so does the need for a long-term, holistic approach to managing this critical resource. This means that sectors cannot be viewed in isolation, but need to be seen as part of a bigger, interconnected network of interests, alongside the need to tackle biodiversity loss and nature recovery.

The Marine Delivery Routemap is a collaborative initiative with our partners and stakeholders to develop a long-term strategy for the marine space. Underpinned by our Whole of Seabed evidence base, it will help coordinate action across sectors to deliver on net zero and nature policies, build a thriving marine economy, and capture onshore benefits.

A pro-active, co-ordinated approach built on evidence

Delivering sustainable growth requires a more coordinated, systems-led approach underpinned by deep evidence.

The Marine Delivery Routemap will be underpinned by our Whole of Seabed evidence base. This combines our spatial mapping expertise, digital capabilities, an overview of seabed demands across sectors and nature, and inputs from our partners to digitally map the seabed resource needed to meet future objectives – supporting vital industries, net zero and nature recovery for the long-term. Find out more about Whole of Seabed Programme here.

We are also identifying in advance the data and evidence needs across critical sectors and nature, and how we can address these through research, shared forums and collaborations (see our Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme).

Areas of focus

To unlock delivery of net zero & nature recovery goals, delivering a thriving marine economy and supporting communities, it is envisaged that the Marine Delivery Routemap will support in:

Working in partnership

Crucially, the creation of a Marine Delivery Routemap will require continued collaboration between partners across multiple sectors as well as nature bodies. Publication of this initial report therefore represents the start of a conversation, and the Routemap will complement and inform key related spatial programmes and forward plans for specific marine sectors.

We look forward to working with all stakeholders to refine our understanding and develop a world-class whole system approach that creates lasting and shared prosperity for the nation.

Publications

As we continue to build the Marine Delivery Routemap, we intend to work with partners to bring forward focused updates on each sector, looking at how they can evolve over the years ahead.

The first of these is Future of Offshore Wind – Considerations for development and leasing to 2030 and beyond. This takes a look at our early thinking on the ‘what, when, where and how’ for future seabed development, alongside potential associated enabling and de-risking activity, to support the offshore wind industry in meeting potential demand out to 2040.

Further publications are planned in due course on other key sectors, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and minerals. We will also be taking a more detailed look at our approach to nature, including how we can continue working in collaboration with others to deliver restoration and recovery.