Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SOS-ZEROPOL2030 (Source to Seas - Zero Pollution 2030 (SOS-ZEROPOL2030))
Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31
'Source to Seas - Zero Pollution 2030 (SOS-ZEROPOL2030)' is developing a holistic zero pollution framework to guide the process towards achieving zero pollution in European seas. Given the complex and interconnected nature of marine pollution, the integration of sustainability-focused agendas and circular economy principles and practices is essential for the development of effective actions that can address its impacts. In this context SOS-ZEROPOL2030 aims to co-design, co-produce, and co-deliver a stakeholder lead framework and practical guidance from source to sea to address shortcomings in marine pollution management and governance.
The approach is based on best practice, emphasis on human behaviour, socioeconomics and governance; and underpinned in knowledge about current barriers to effective and efficient prevention, reduction, mitigation and monitoring of marine pollution in European Seas. SOS-ZEROPOL2030 has the following objectives:
1. To better understand the barriers that compromise successful marine pollution management and stakeholder participation in Europe to identify appropriate intervention points, measures and actions that can support a blue green transition with focus on human behaviour, socio economics and governance.
2. To capitalise upon best practices concerning the implementation of sustainable and effective measures that address marine pollution for priority pollution types in European Seas.
3. To engage stakeholders through a joint knowledge production process that captures and integrates their knowledge and understanding regarding obstacles and opportunities that concern the implementation of efficient and effective marine pollution reduction, prevention, mitigation measures and monitoring in a ‘living lab’ approach.
4. To provide practical guidelines that incorporate the principles of the circular economy, are transferable across geographic regions and types of pollutants, and exemplify how to ‘turn off the tap’ from source to sea by focusing on consumer products that cause specific types of pollution at regional sea level.
5. To co-develop a practical roadmap that will guide the blue green transition needed to reach clean European seas by 2030 with and for all relevant stakeholders.
6. To generate societal impact and raise widespread awareness of how marine pollution can be addressed efficiently and effectively, through proactive engagement with multiple stakeholders at regional sea level and targeted extensive project communication, dissemination and outreach and specific promotion of innovative actions and practical measures.
Two main impact pathways are central to SOS-ZEROPOL2030: 1. The project’s extensive stakeholder engagement throughout the duration of the project generating joint knowledge through an interactive process between different stakeholder groups towards a common knowledge base, which gives meaning to- and legitimizes decisions taken and future interventions to achieve zero pollution and creates a community of practice. Target Groups are EU and national Policy and Decision Makers, Regional Seas Conventions, MSFD working groups, Marine Pollution Managers, the Scientific community, NGO’s, Private Sector and Industry, and the Public. 2. The zero-pollution landscape for four pollutant priority groups and the project case study pollutants, which will be taken up through the tools developed for a zero-pollution future, such as a roadmap, guidelines and the framework to provide tangible project outputs and outcomes for uptake post project duration.
SOS-ZEROPOL2030 will show the way towards significant reducing the emissions for priority pollutants to the marine environment at European, regional seas and national level. The scale and significance of the outcomes and impacts will vary for each pollutant due to a highly complex set of parameters and variables.
The approach is based on best practice, emphasis on human behaviour, socioeconomics and governance; and underpinned in knowledge about current barriers to effective and efficient prevention, reduction, mitigation and monitoring of marine pollution in European Seas. SOS-ZEROPOL2030 has the following objectives:
1. To better understand the barriers that compromise successful marine pollution management and stakeholder participation in Europe to identify appropriate intervention points, measures and actions that can support a blue green transition with focus on human behaviour, socio economics and governance.
2. To capitalise upon best practices concerning the implementation of sustainable and effective measures that address marine pollution for priority pollution types in European Seas.
3. To engage stakeholders through a joint knowledge production process that captures and integrates their knowledge and understanding regarding obstacles and opportunities that concern the implementation of efficient and effective marine pollution reduction, prevention, mitigation measures and monitoring in a ‘living lab’ approach.
4. To provide practical guidelines that incorporate the principles of the circular economy, are transferable across geographic regions and types of pollutants, and exemplify how to ‘turn off the tap’ from source to sea by focusing on consumer products that cause specific types of pollution at regional sea level.
5. To co-develop a practical roadmap that will guide the blue green transition needed to reach clean European seas by 2030 with and for all relevant stakeholders.
6. To generate societal impact and raise widespread awareness of how marine pollution can be addressed efficiently and effectively, through proactive engagement with multiple stakeholders at regional sea level and targeted extensive project communication, dissemination and outreach and specific promotion of innovative actions and practical measures.
Two main impact pathways are central to SOS-ZEROPOL2030: 1. The project’s extensive stakeholder engagement throughout the duration of the project generating joint knowledge through an interactive process between different stakeholder groups towards a common knowledge base, which gives meaning to- and legitimizes decisions taken and future interventions to achieve zero pollution and creates a community of practice. Target Groups are EU and national Policy and Decision Makers, Regional Seas Conventions, MSFD working groups, Marine Pollution Managers, the Scientific community, NGO’s, Private Sector and Industry, and the Public. 2. The zero-pollution landscape for four pollutant priority groups and the project case study pollutants, which will be taken up through the tools developed for a zero-pollution future, such as a roadmap, guidelines and the framework to provide tangible project outputs and outcomes for uptake post project duration.
SOS-ZEROPOL2030 will show the way towards significant reducing the emissions for priority pollutants to the marine environment at European, regional seas and national level. The scale and significance of the outcomes and impacts will vary for each pollutant due to a highly complex set of parameters and variables.
During the second reporting period (RP2), SOS-ZEROPOL2030 advanced the scientific and technical understanding of the project’s case study pollutants; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and tyre wear particles (TWPs); through integrated assessments encompassing governance, environmental, and stakeholder dimensions. Work conducted in WP2 (D2.3) provided key insights into stakeholder and public perceptions of different types of marine pollution, obstacles to marine pollution management, while identifying the types of marine pollution policies broadly supported across society. WP3 and WP4 furthered the investigation of the case study pollutants, with participatory methodological developments in WP3 enabling stakeholder engagement (D3.3) across three regional seas and facilitating the co-production of data and knowledge to support evidence-based pollution mitigation (D3.1 D3.2). WP4 advanced comparative assessments across regional seas, including integrated case study pollutant analyses (D4.1) assessment of the case study pollutants governance landscape (D4.2) and case study pollutant specific scenarios that integrated multi-stakeholder insights and multidisciplinary data (D4.3). Collectively, these efforts strengthened the scientific evidence base underpinning governance and policy recommendations and provided actionable input for designing zero-pollution transition measures. Project output such as 15 peer-reviewed publications and contributions to multiple international scientific and policy events consolidated SOS-ZEROPOL2030’s position within the European zero-pollution research community. Overall, RP2 activities substantially reinforced the project’s technifoundation, ensuring readiness for the next phase focused on delivering the Zero Pollution Framework, Roadmap, and Guidance to support the transition toward pollution-free European seas.
The project advanced beyond the state of the art by generating new transdisciplinary, policy-relevant knowledge on PFAS and tyre wear particles that integrated scientific, governance, and stakeholder dimensions, establishing a community of practice and innovative engagement methodologies that enhance the legitimacy and uptake of zero-pollution strategies, strengthen evidence-based policymaking, and create long-term impact through sustained behavioural, socio-economic, and governance transitions towards pollution-free European seas.