The largest ecosystem on earth, the ocean is the lung of the planet, providing the oxygen for every second breath we take.
It provides the main food source for almost half of the world’s population and plays host to an estimated 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. Major industries such as shipping, fishing, aquaculture, and coastal tourism depend upon ocean health.
With an annual economic value estimated at USD$2.5 trillion, equivalent to the world’s 7th largest economy, the blue economy is increasingly attracting investors, insurers, banks, and policymakers as a new source of opportunity, resources, and prosperity. However, its rapid unsustainable growth can lead to environmental risks and losses in natural capital, eroding the ocean’s resource base and creating regulatory, market and physical risks.
What is the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative?
To help guide the crucial role that banks, insurers and investors can play, the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles were unveiled in 2018. The principles provide a guiding framework for financing a sustainable ocean economy, and were developed by the European Commission, WWF, the World Resources Institute and the European Investment Bank.
Building on the momentum of these principles, UNEP FI hosts the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative; a new platform bringing together financial institutions to work with scientists, corporates and civil society.
The initiative is growing fast and its 50+ members already include leading banks and insurance companies such as BNP Paribas, AVIVA Investors, Willis Towers Watson, the World Bank, EBRD, the Asian Development Bank, and many more.
Join the Inititative!
We invite financial institutions and organisations to join this leadership initiative and help shape the future of the industry. We work to accelerate the transition towards sustainable use of the world’s ocean, seas and marine resources by developing practical actions and outputs for insurers, lenders and investors.
By joining, you will have access to a global community of practice, peer-to-peer learning, blue finance resources and knowledge base, and help shape guidance to deliver a sustainable blue ocean economy. We will help you find cutting edge new solutions, amplify success, and catalyse change, with a dissemination power at a global level.
This work is generously supported by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. Read more about the UN Environment Programme’s work on Oceans & Seas.