Seaweed Farm Developer Kelp Farms Launches EcoMarine Index, ESG Index for Marine Ecosystems

Kelp Farms, a platform that plans, designs, deploys, and operates seaweed farms, has launched EcoMarine Index which it says is the first independent international ESG index to assess how human activities affect oceans, seas and coastal zones.

The initiative aims to increase transparency in the marine economy and promote responsible marine resource management.

EcoMarine Index combines scientific data, ESG principles and applied analytics so marine impacts can be evaluated and compared consistently, with transparency, across sectors. It will focus on environmental management, environmental and marine ecosystem impact and
disclosure and environmental awareness.

The methodology is based on publicly available data and comparable quantitative indicators. The results of the evaluation will be published openly.

“The ocean is a key element of the global climate system, a source of food and the backbone of global trade. Yet its condition is often assessed in a fragmented way, while the impact of human activity frequently remains outside systematic analysis,” said Olga Lakustova, Director of Kelp Farms and initiator of the EcoMarine Index. “Our mission is to change this — to make environmental impact measurable and thereby contribute to real improvements in ocean health at a global level.”

Marine stakeholders will be evaluated across three categories:

• Shipping and fishing companies
• Offshore oil and gas companies
• Coastal cities and coastal territories

“In essence, this is an ESG-type benchmark applied to the marine ecosystem,” Lakustova said. “The criteria are based on a methodology developed by independent experts in environmental assessment and sustainability rankings. The evaluation includes key environmental indicators such as emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, impacts on marine ecosystems — including oil spills and incidents leading to spills — as well as waste management practices and other environmental performance metrics,”
Lakustova added.

The pilot phase of the EcoMarine Index includes marine stakeholders operating in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions. The EcoMarine Index is designed as an annual benchmark, with plans to expand its geographical coverage to additional ocean regions in the coming years.

The initial evaluation covers shipping companies and offshore oil and gas companies, including Arkas Line, ASCO (Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company), Kazmortransflot, TPAO, SOCAR, BP (AIOC), KazMunayGas, NCOC, OMV Petrom, Romgaz and Dragon Oil.

The pilot phase also includes coastal cities and port areas such as Batumi, Poti, Samsun, Trabzon, Zonguldak, Baku, Sumgait, Aktau, Atyrau, Varna, Burgas, Constanța and Turkmenbashi.

Source: Blue Economy News by Susan Lahey, March 24, 2026