Recognizing their dependency and exposure to the marine ecosystems, many offshore wind developers, including Ørsted, Iberdrola and Vattenfall, have committed to a net-positive impact on biodiversity for every new project commissioned from 2030 onwards. Ahead of this timeline, many regenerative projects have already been launched. For example, Ørsted’s ReCoral seeks to scale up coral restoration on offshore wind farms by transferring lab-cultivated coral onto metal frames and settling them on wind power infrastructure.30 Other examples of nature- inclusive design include Vattenfall’s Hollands Kust Zuid in the Netherlands, RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm in Germany, Equinor’s Hywind in Scotland, Ørsted’s Borssele I & II in the Netherlands, and the successful re-introduction of flat oysters by the Rich North Sea in the Blauwwind wind farm By giving back to the environment and communities, these methods also help garner local buy-in for projects, which in some cases can offset what would have been the cost of delays. Siting conflicts are among the leading causes of project delays in the renewables sector, often costing developers $2-3 million per year in financing charges for every year a project is delayed.31 A similar study in the UK found that consenting delays can cost developers up to £200,000 ($255,000 per day).32Regenerative ocean economy Embedding regenerative practices in offshore wind projects BOX 3The regenerative ocean economy is a wholistic concept encompassing a systemic, interconnected and seascape-level approach to governing the human-ocean relationship. The regenerative blue economy is still in the concept phase with efforts led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Regenerative Blue Economy. It is not currently possible to assess the overall economic contribution of the regenerative ocean economy, especially as private investment into relevant projects is small and not always 100% allocated to regenerative measures, but instead split between traditional activities and regenerative elements. However, important investments are being made in both direct nature restoration projects and commercial activities with regenerative elements. These definitions and a better understanding of what “counts” as part of the ocean economy is crucial to businesses and capital providers, many of whom mistakenly believe that the ocean economy is limited to conservation efforts (regenerative ocean economy). This decreased literacy causes businesses and investors to overlook substantial, investable opportunities across the ocean economy. The Ocean Economy Imperative: Defining Value, Managing Risk and Mobilizing Investment 8

Ocean Economy Imperative 2026