Glen Wright

In 2024, global renewable energy growth was primarily driven by the power sector, where capacity expanded by 741 gigawatts (GW), the largest annual increase ever recorded. Solar photovoltaics (PV) led this growth, supported by rapidly falling costs, large-scale deployments and mature supply chains; however, growth in wind energy installations slowed. Deployment of battery storage hit record levels, driven by falling prices and growing recognition of storage as critical for grid reliability. Despite this momentum, renewable energy growth could not keep pace with rising global electricity demand. Growth in electricity demand was driven by higher temperatures, industrial expansion and rapid electrification in emerging markets. Data centres consumed large amounts of electricity as use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continued to grow. Renewables were deployed to meet some of this demand, and fossil fuels filled the gap. Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased 0.8% compared to 2023. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, and for the first time the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius ( degreesC) above pre-industrial levels over a full calendar year. Climate impacts intensified worldwide: Los Angeles (United States) faced severe wildfires, Valencia (Spain) experienced extreme flooding, droughts hit Latin America, and flash floods inundated the Caribbean. These events disrupted communities, economies, and energy systems, with vulnerable regions suffering the most. This series of disasters again emphasises that the climate emergency is not a future threat it is already disrupting lives and livelihoods across the planet. Energy security remained in the spotlight in 2024, as geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and rising economic nationalism influenced national energy strategies. Countries sought to secure supply, reduce external dependencies and control prices. While some countries accelerated their investments in renewables and energy storage to reduce risk and increase resilience, fossil fuel investments also grew, often driven by industrial lobbying and short-term security concerns. As these developments underscore, the energy transition is shaped not only by technical and economic factors, but also by political and governance choices, domestic pressures and competing visions of national interest. Renewable energy is no longer just a climate solution; it is essential infrastructure. In a world of intersecting crises, renewables support sustainable economic development, public health and energy security.

With a new international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) on the horizon, now is the time to start laying the foundation for successful implementation. This paper provides some initial reflections for supporting rapid, effective, and equitable implementation of the BBNJ Agreement in three priority areas: (1) bringing the Agreement into force; (2) establishing the institutional framework, including financial mechanisms; and (3) developing capacity, science, and technology. With reference to selected examples from other international processes, the paper makes suggestions for encouraging wide ratification of the BBNJ Agreement, establishing a Preparatory Commission (PrepCom), mobilizing resources, and building partnerships to advance science and capacity. The growing impacts of climate change and human activities on the global ocean necessitate urgent action, so we must begin to work on the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement as soon as possible to secure ocean health for the benefit of present and future generations.

The literature on ocean energy has, to date, largely focussed on technical, environmental, and, increasingly, social and political aspects. Legal and regulatory factors have received far less attention, despite their importance in supporting this new technology and ensuring its sustainable development. Building on the social sciences research agenda developed by the International network for Social Studies of Marine Energy (ISSMER) and published in Energy Policy, a complementary agenda for legal research linked to ocean energy was set out. Key directions for future research structured around the core themes of marine governance: (i) international law; (ii) environmental impacts; (iii) rights and ownership; (iv) consenting processes; and (v) management of marine space and resources were identified.

The world’s oceans are currently undergoing an unprecedented period of industrialisation, made possible by advances in technology and driven by our growing need for food, energy and resources. This is placing the oceans are under intense pressure, and the ability of existing marine governance frameworks to sustainably manage the marine environment is increasingly being called into question. Emerging industries are challenging all aspects of these frameworks, raising questions regarding ownership and rights of the sea and its resources, management of environmental impacts, and management of ocean space. This paper uses the emerging marine renewable energy (MRE) industry, particularly in the United Kingdom (UK), as a case study to introduce and explore some of the key challenges. The paper concludes that the challenges are likely to be extensive and argues for development of a comprehensive legal research agenda to advance both MRE technologies and marine governance frameworks.