Abstract
The Celtic Seas Partnership has worked with stakeholders from across the Celtic Seas to produce a series of best practice guidelines to provide examples of possible approaches, tools, and mechanisms that could be used as solutions to environmental challenges facing the area. These guidelines are to help stakeholders work together to make progress towards the EU target of ‘Good Environmental Status’ under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Three sets of guidelines have been produced under the Celtic Seas Partnership; this study is focused on ‘Encouraging harmonious co-existence of marine renewables with other marine uses and interests’.
To understand the potential impact of implementing these guidelines, WWF-UK commissioned NEF Consulting to conduct a socio-economic benefits assessment. The benefits assessment was conducted in a number of stages. The guidelines and related material were first reviewed to identify potential outcomes. This then fed into the initial outcomes map which was tested and refined through stakeholder interviews. Interview participants were also asked to provide estimates of impacts in their areas of expertise and these were then incorporated into the model. The benefits were modelled to give a range of potential values, and three different future trend scenarios were assessed.