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Planning Transitions: SEAs, Climate Change, and Energy Transitions in the Ocean
Leah M Fusco1, Gerald G Singh2
1Ocean Nexus, Memorial University, Department of Political Science, St. John's, NL, Canada. lfusco@mun.ca.
Environmental Management
|August 22, 2025
Summary
Strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) can aid ocean energy transitions but often fall short. Improving SEAs is crucial for meeting climate goals and planning offshore energy futures.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Marine policy
- Energy studies
Background:
- Oceans are vital for climate change solutions and renewable energy development.
- The energy transition requires significant shifts in offshore energy planning.
- Fossil fuels, particularly oil, present challenges to envisioning new energy futures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) in ocean-based energy transitions.
- To determine if SEAs provide adequate information for energy transition decision-making.
- To assess the consideration of climate change and alternatives within ocean energy SEAs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 69 offshore energy-related SEAs conducted in 11 countries.
- Review of SEAs conducted between 2000 and 2021.
- Examination of SEA content regarding climate change, climate goals, and alternative assessments.
Main Results:
- Findings on SEA effectiveness varied across jurisdictions.
- In many instances, SEAs were not optimized to support energy transition decisions.
- The potential of SEAs to facilitate long-term offshore energy planning was often limited.
Conclusions:
- SEAs offer a valuable, existing tool for supporting ocean energy transitions.
- Enhancing SEAs is essential for aligning offshore energy development with global climate commitments.
- Improved SEAs can better inform long-term planning for sustainable ocean energy futures.
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