Co‑Creating Adaptive Policy Pathways for the North Sea

 Within the Ecoamare project, work is underway to develop dynamic adaptive policy pathways that can guide future decision-making for the North Sea. These pathways help outline possible timelines and highlight the critical policy choices that may influence which future scenarios become reality. A key principle in this work is co‑creation by engaging stakeholders from government and related sectors throughout the process.

Following previous stakeholder engagement activities, below is an update on our most recent events and progress related to the development of adaptive policy pathways for the North Sea.

Stakeholder Workshop on Scenario Development – 27 May 2025

Earlier in the project, four future scenarios for the North Sea were developed, drawing inspiration from international frameworks such as the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). On 27 May, representatives from several government agencies, including the Ministries of IenW, LVVN, and EZK, joined a workshop to review progress and provide feedback on the draft scenarios. Stakeholders emphasized the need for clearer distinctions between the scenarios and more detailed elaboration to improve their usability and relevance.

Engaging Stakeholder at the North Sea Days – 18 & 19 September 2025

Ecoamare participated in the Noordzeedagen in Egmond aan Zee on 18 and 19 September 2025. Alongside contributions from the consortium to several sessions, the University of Groningen and Deltares team presented a dedicated poster on the scenarios and adaptive policy pathways. Participants were invited to reflect on key drivers shaping the future of the North Sea and cast votes on the factors they considered most influential. A total of 43 participants took part. The most selected factor was “Guiding values of society”, highlighting the belief that societal norms and collective stewardship will be central to sustainable marine futures. Other prominent factors included “nature protection” and the “level of greenhouse gas reduction”.

Ecoamare Midterm Event – 29 January 2026

During the Ecoamare midterm event, organized in collaboration with the Community of Practice North Sea, the updated scenarios were presented. The project team also shared an overview of potential policy measures forming the foundation for the dynamic adaptive pathways. Participants were invited to validate these measures, reflect on their relevance, and indicate when specific interventions should ideally be implemented. In this way, participants added a valuable temporal dimension to the analysis.

The project team is now processing the results from the most recent stakeholder sessions. These insights will inform the development of preliminary adaptive policy pathways, supporting a robust and inclusive approach to shaping the future of the North Sea.