World’s biggest ocean industries failing to disclose true impact on seas

The research, published in Nature Sustainability, examined the sustainability reports of 75 of the biggest firms across eight key ocean industries, including oil and gas, offshore wind, shipping, ports, seafood and cruise tourism. While nearly all of them reported on greenhouse gas emissions and waste, fewer than one in four measured or set targets for ocean-specific impacts such as habitat destruction, overfishing, underwater noise, or the spread of invasive species.

“The blue economy is booming, but transparency about its environmental footprint is not keeping up,” says lead author Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, researcher at the Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, and affiliated with Stockholm Resilience Centre. “Companies are quick to talk about their carbon emissions, but much less about what their activities mean for marine ecosystems.”

The study found companies use 443 different indicators to describe their ocean impacts – a patchwork so varied it makes comparison nearly impossible. This lack of standardisation leaves regulators, investors and the public struggling to assess whether ocean industries are improving or merely greenwashing.

A shapshot of conditions today

The timing is critical. The ocean is under mounting pressure from climate change, industrial expansion and biodiversity loss. Governments from Europe to the Pacific are promoting “blue growth” as a new economic frontier, from offshore energy to deep-sea mining. But without clear accountability, the push risks repeating on water the same mistakes made on land – exploiting ecosystems faster than they can recover.

Experts note that improving corporate disclosure is not just about environmental stewardship, but about risk management. Invasive species carried by ballast water, collapsing fish stocks, or damaged coral reefs can all have cascading impacts on supply chains, food security and even coastal infrastructure.

“This study sets an important baseline, a snapshot of conditions today,” says Robert Blasiak, Centre researcher and co-author of the study. “It’s a clear path forward for companies who want to distinguish themselves as leaders, but entire industries will need to take these steps eventually.”

Transparency needed for accountability

The EU has already begun mandating broader sustainability disclosures under its new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, including explicit requirements for marine resources and biodiversity. Similar frameworks are being developed globally, such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. But researchers argue that ocean-specific reporting lags far behind.

The authors call for governments to tighten regulations, for industries to agree on common biodiversity indicators, and for companies to make data on their ocean footprint publicly available. New tools – from satellite monitoring to environmental DNA sampling – are making this cheaper and more feasible than ever.

Policymakers, they say, should see this as an opportunity. Clearer reporting could allow investors to steer capital towards companies genuinely reducing their impact at sea, while giving regulators and communities the information needed to hold laggards accountable.

“The ocean economy brings huge opportunities, but its legitimacy depends on transparency as a necessary condition for accountability,” Jouffray says. “Otherwise, blue growth risks becoming just another wave of unsustainable exploitation.”