Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

11-26-2018

Abstract

The need for an environmentally sustainable alternative to fossilsourced energy has led to a global increase in offshore renewable energy ORE ventures in the past decade With fastadvancing technologies these ventures are moving into deeper waters putting the likelihood of ORE installations in the High Seas in sight Concerns about potential conflict with other traditional uses of the marine space marine pollution inefficient and inequitable deployments have been raised However asides from few Statebased regulatory frameworks there is no international legal framework to regulate this burgeoning ORE industry Adopting a sociolegal approach this paper mainstreams Arvid Pardo's argument for the equitable management of the ocean space as an ecological whole to propose a dualist approach to ORE governance This paper contends that the current global ORE structure is inequitable and inefficient and proposes ways existing structures can be adapted to regulate the burgeoning industry Using Nigeria and West Africa as case study recommendations have been made on the roles to be played by States and the International Community in a global ORE governance framework

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