Sea the change

💎 Idea

According to a recent study from Deloitte, 2021, there is a lack of around 150 USD billion of private investment to support sea conservation. Also, seas and oceans are severely endangered by the threat of climate change, while they should play fundamental roles in mitigating the adverse effects.

According to Booking, 2018, 86% of global tourists want to travel more sustainably.

Sea the change s.r.l. is an innovative startup working on the enhancement of investments in projects aimed at protecting and restoring marine ecosystems.

Through an online platform, it is possible for tourists, private individuals, and companies to fund sustainable initiatives and projects aimed at protecting marine ecosystems.

We involve the hospitality sector, creating a network of hotels located in seaside destinations that represent our channel to communicate with single tourists.

This mechanism allows tourists to compensate for the carbon footprint associated with their leisure activities or to fund marine conservation and restoration projects that Sea the Change s.r.l. has selected in the surrounding area, according to a set of criteria.

🛰️ EU space technologies

Highlight the data, information or signals you are using/intend to use in your idea. Include some information on how this brings value to your idea

Seas and oceans absorb around 1/3 of the total CO2 emissions emitted every year, but they are severely threatened by climate change and plastic pollution. The idea of Sea the Change consists of creating an online platform that can link these issues. On the one side, tourists and companies will become active actors in the ecological transition, and they will change their paradigm from being a threat to the environment to becoming change leaders. On the other side, thanks to the investments, maritime ecosystems will strengthen their health and will be able to support human society against the effects of climate change. 

Thanks to OLCI and SLSTR database from Sentinel 3 of the Copernicus project, our project would be able to improve on three different levels:    

1 - Impact efficiency: OLCI and SLSTR data about the health of seas would allow Sea the Change to pick the right area to direct its investments and maximize the positive impact generated by the protections programs;

2-Measure and Plan: OLCI and SLSTR data would allow Sea the Change to analyze positive impacts generated by the investments and improve its planning strategy for future programs and projects;

3- Results: thanks to OLCI and SLSTR data analysis Sea the Change will be able to communicate specific data about seas protection programs to its customers: both private individuals and companies.

More specifically, we will be able to communicate by email and social media the positive impacts generated by private individuals' investments and furnish KPI and ad hoc consulting services about climate change and mitigation programs to companies and accommodation structures.

🏖️ (Re)Visit Europe

Which of the 3 challenges are you solving (finding sustainable destinations, experiencing cities and cultures or exploring nature with care), and how does this make tourism more sustainable and digital?

Sea the Change fits perfectly in the third challenge: exploring nature with care. Thanks to the website developed by Sea the Change, tourists will have the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in projects that support seas' capacity to absorb CO2 emissions. Also, it will be possible for tourists to invest in projects that reduce the plastic garbage in the seas. The proposed projects will be directly linked to the coastal cities chosen for holidays, and the predominant marketing strategy to reach tourists is to collaborate with the Ho.Re.Ca. sector. Also, thanks to the analysis of Sentinel 3, it would be easier for Sea the Change to communicate on social media information about the state of the environment, involve tourists in a positive green mechanism that would benefit local communities and the environment, and support the conservation of maritime ecosystems.

💪 Team 

Tell us who is in your team, what role they have (e.g. coder/designer), and a 1-2 sentence bio.

Luca Barani: Business developer Italy.  Innovative manager and environmental economist with experience as team leader and project coordinator.

Alberto Carpanese: Business developer Spain. Graduated in Resource Economics and Sustainable Development, I'm an environmental educator with an interest in food and fashion sustainability.

Francesco Suzzi: Partnership coordinator. Freelance project manager and educator. His area of interest regards sustainability, circular economy, and social innovation.

Jasmine Rocco: Sustainable communication manager. Italian-Egyptian sustainability nerd with a diverse background and passionate about intersectional sustainable development.