With 6,160 miles of stunning coastline and over 900 islands, Scotland is a thriving marine nation. It’s no surprise that the marine sector in the country is incredibly robust, with activities from offshore wind to fisheries and marine tourism, contributing £4 billion* to the Scottish economy and employing 68,000 people.
The marine sector is so crucial to Scotland that the government has laid out a plan to protect the country’s rivers, waterways and oceans for generations to come. Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision states that by 2045, Scotland’s shared stewardship of the marine environment should support ecosystem health, improve livelihoods and economic prosperity, social inclusion and wellbeing.
The Blue Economy Vision extends Scotland’s existing strong commitment to sustainability. This includes the country’s ambitious climate change legislation which sets a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045, meaning its contribution to climate change will end, definitively, within one generation.
A vital part of this work is attracting business events that contribute to the government’s sustainability aims. With COP 26 in Glasgow in 2021, Glasgow in particular has become known for hosting business events with a positive sustainability message.
Business events can be catalysts for incredible social and economic change, with the capacity to educate, share knowledge and start important conversations. The marine science community is well placed to support Scotland in its Blue Economy Vision, and more widely in achieving several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth and life below water.
An upcoming marine sector event which aligns with Scotland’s sustainability goals is The International Water Association’s (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition which will visit the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow in 2026. The event will emphasise the role water plays in combatting climate change and represents an important focus for IWA’s work to secure progress on water issues globally.
Scotland is a connected country with a wide array of industry professionals and academics to enrich and support your event. To meet the Scottish government’s policy objectives toward strengthening the country’s commitment to sustainability and growing economic equality, VisitScotland Business Events Journey to Change movement can help connect event professionals with local Scottish partners who share those aims. For more details visit https://businessevents.visitscotland.com/
*2020 figures from https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-marine-economic-statistics-2020/
