Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Solar Impulse Foundation launch the 'Ocean Solution Label'

Companies can now apply to have their ocean-positive solutions certified with the Ocean Solution Label, showcasing their commitment to climate-conscious innovation, environmental sustainability, and economic viability.

San Francisco, CA, December 4, 2024 — Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) and the Solar Impulse Foundation (SIF) join forces today to announce the launch of the Ocean Solution Label. This new label seeks to recognize companies and startups providing ocean-positive solutions that restore and sustain ocean health, building on SIF’s Efficient Solution Label. 

Drawing on the globally recognized expertise of the Solar Impulse Foundation evaluating clean and profitable Solutions, this initiative strengthens the Sustainable Ocean Alliance's commitment to identifying, supporting, and scaling high-impact ocean solutions. By merging SOA’s leadership in ocean innovation with SIF’s rigorous evaluation process, the Ocean Solution Label aims to elevate ocean-focused businesses, ensuring they receive global recognition and support. 

“The Ocean Solution Label is the latest example of Sustainable Ocean Alliance’s efforts to maintain the world’s strongest and most rewarding ocean champions network,” said Daniela V. Fernandez, Founder & CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

“We’re honored to partner with a prestigious organization like the Solar Impulse Foundation to bring our collective networks together to create a more sustainable future. SOA is looking forward to welcoming even more innovative minds contributing to the restoration of our ocean and changing the narrative around profitable change into our collective networks.”

"The partnership with Sustainable Ocean Alliance is a significant step forward in our mission to identify and give a label to solutions that protect the environment in an economically profitable way," said Dr. Bertrand Piccard, Founder & Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. 

“By focusing together on ocean solutions, we want to show how sustainable forms of economic activity coexist with ocean protection. I hope that a specific label for oceans, like this one, will be the first of many collaborations encouraging organizations of all sectors to see the value of promoting solutions that protect the planet while being economically viable.”

Ocean Solution Label awardees’ benefits include: 

• Certifying their solution as ocean-positive, clean, and profitable through a vetted certification process;

• Obtaining a co-branded letter of support from SOA and the SIF recognizing their contributions to advancing ocean innovation;

• Enhancing their brand visibility, opening doors to new market opportunities and collaborations; 
  Getting priority access to join SOA’s Ecopreneur Network to grow, scale, and amplify their ocean-positive solution, and;

• Connecting with over 250+ qualified ocean investors and VCs in SOA’s network to advance their fundraising efforts, among other benefits.  

The application process involves a rigorous evaluation by independent experts, assessing each solution's feasibility, environmental impact, and economic viability, with a specific focus on its positive impact on ocean health. Only solutions that meet stringent criteria for sustainability, profitability, and ocean stewardship will be awarded both the Efficient Solution Label and the Ocean Solution Label.

For consideration, applicants must:

• Address key ocean challenges (e.g., plastic pollution, acidification).

• Show significant positive impact on the ocean and include methods to measure impact

• Ensure low potential for unintended negative consequences.

• Be eligible (criteria below) and complete the application process for the Efficient Solution Label*:

  • Must be a product, process, or service based on partially or fully owned technology.

  • Demonstrate quantifiable environmental impact vs. conventional alternatives.

  • Offer economic benefits for the client

  • At least TRL 6-7

  • Contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with innovators expected to complete submissions within 30 days, followed by an initial internal review by the SIF team. Validated solutions are then assessed by three independent experts, which can take 15 days to several months based on availability, complexity, and the innovator's responsiveness to inquiries via an anonymous chatbot. A final review and validation of experts’ evaluations is performed, followed by the final outcome declaration. The entire process takes approximately 60 to 120 days, depending on application complexity and applicant responsiveness.

*Applications and evaluations for the Efficient Solution Label and the Ocean Solution Label occur simultaneously.

Are you a startup committed to ocean sustainability? Don’t miss the opportunity to gain recognition for your innovative solutions! 

Apply now for the Ocean Solutions Label and join a growing network of ocean-positive companies making a difference. 

About Sustainable Ocean Alliance:

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to activating young people, developing and implementing innovative solutions, and mobilizing a global movement of ocean allies to restore the health of the ocean.

Founded in 2014, SOA has developed the world’s largest network of 7,000+ young ocean leaders, ecopreneurs, and advocates across 186 countries, all committed to solving the greatest threats facing our ocean. To date, we have accelerated 470+ ocean-based solutions, including 64 for-profit startups and 410 community-led nonprofit projects in 90 countries.

About Solar Impulse Foundation:

The Solar Impulse Foundation (SIF) is a non-profit organization founded by explorer and cleantech pioneer Bertrand Piccard, following the success of the first round-the-world flight in a solar aircraft.

The Solar Impulse Foundation identifies, labels, and promotes all the innovations that are economically profitable and can take the world towards more energy efficiency. Over 350 independent experts evaluate submitted solutions from various sectors and award the Efficient Solutions label, a trusted mark of quality. 

Today, the portfolio includes over 1,600 solutions and the Foundation supports their adoption by enhancing their visibility, bringing them to adopters from the private and public sectors, mobilizing venture capital and project finance, and advocating for legislative modernization. The Foundation is committed to proving that ecological performance and economic viability can be reconciled, making climate action not only an imperative but also an opportunity.

Why focus on the ocean? 

The ocean sustains almost all life on this planet—and is our greatest defense against climate change. It covers 71% of the globe’s surface, represents the planet’s largest carbon sink, and generates 50% of the oxygen on Earth. 

It is also home to the ecosystems with the greatest potential to mitigate climate impacts—mangrove forests, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows absorb ten times more carbon dioxide than terrestrial rainforests and store this carbon in both living biomass and in underlying substrates like soil. These blue carbon ecosystems also serve as a buffer to storms, absorbing wave energy and reducing wave height to better protect coastal communities. 

Amidst the current climate crisis, the importance of safeguarding our ocean cannot be underestimated. However, human activity is stressing our planetary systems beyond capacity. Right now, the situation is critical: humanity must do our part to protect the ocean so it can continue to protect us. 

MEDIA CONTACT: liza@soalliance.org, daniela.diego@solarimpulse.com

Download the full press release here.