Ports and maritime industries play a critical role in the global economy, supporting trade, food security, and sustainable blue growth. However, they are also significant contributors to environmental pressures. In Europe, maritime transport is responsible for approximately 13.5% of total transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with methane emissions from shipping having doubled between 2018 and 2023 due to increased use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. Additionally, maritime activities contribute to water pollution through oil spills, wastewater discharge, and marine litter, with container loss remaining a persistent issue for ocean ecosystems (European Environment Agency, 2025).
To address these challenges, European and international policies such as the European Green Deal, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set ambitious targets for emissions reductions, marine biodiversity protection, and sustainable resource management. In this context, Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) technologies offer a powerful tool to enhance policy monitoring, compliance assessment, and governance. The Iliad project, integrating 22 individual digital twins through the "Twin of Twins" concept, provides a scalable and unified framework to analyze environmental impacts, optimize resource management, and drive data-informed policymaking.
This policy toolkit is designed to help policymakers, public authorities, and industry stakeholders effectively utilize Iliad DTOs and related services to align with European and global policy objectives. By leveraging real-time monitoring, predictive modeling, and advanced analytics, these toolkits will support national and regional authorities in implementing marine spatial planning, pollution control, emissions reduction, and the sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and renewable energy. Given the urgent need for climate resilience and environmental protection, this toolkit empowers decision-makers with cutting-edge digital solutions to tackle present and future marine challenges in a science-based and efficient manner.
Target Groups:
- National and Local Authorities: Supporting effective marine spatial planning and resource management.
- Regional and EU Policymakers: Aligning local and regional strategies with global sustainability objectives.
- Businesses: Providing actionable insights for industries such as fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, and renewable energy.
- European Commission and International Organizations: Informing policy development and compliance assessments at broader scales.
