A compelling exploration of the ocean’s profound influence on human history, contemporary society, and the critical role it plays in addressing existential challenges.

Henriksen, a former CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and current Special Advisor to the UN — as well as a passionate diver — presents a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of the ocean's impact on geopolitics, climate, biodiversity, and the potential for a sustainable future.

Through a holistic lens, the book navigates readers through the historical implications of naval powers, the paradoxical relationship between the ocean's abundance and its inadequate management, and the intricate connections between the ocean and the global ecosystem.

This book will serve as an essential guide for policymakers, environmentalists, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our planet’s most significant common resource.

Sturla Henriksen is Special Advisor, Ocean, to the UN Global Compact, and co-chair of the Ocean Group under the G20 presidencies of Brazil and South Africa. He has for many years been a licensed scuba-diver instructor, adding a practical bottom-up perspective to the top-down reflections from his extensive career as a maritime executive.

Diane Oatley

Book translations