Sustainable Blue Finance

Mobilising Capital for a Sustainable Ocean

Welcome to the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative, a UN-convened global community focused on the intersection between private finance and ocean health, supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles.

We work across the financial community to provide guidance and frameworks to ensure investment, underwriting and lending activities are aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), ‘life below water’ enabling financial institutions to rebuild ocean prosperity, restore biodiversity and regenerate ocean health.

This work is generously supported by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank as well as by the Swedish Government via the UN Environment Programme Sustainable Blue Economy Initiative. Read more about the UN Environment Programme’s work on Oceans & Seas.

Ocean Principles

The world’s first global guiding framework for financial institutions towards a sustainable blue economy.

Ocean Guidance

Our seminal guidance to help guides financial decision-making across ocean-linked sectors

Join Us

Join the global financial community in shaping a sustainable future for the blue economy

Ocean Finance for Sustainability

Financial Institutions provide the financing, investment and insurance required to power ocean-linked sectors, including shipping, seafood, marine renewable energy. They can have a sizeable impact on the health of the ocean and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable blue economy.

The Ocean

The ocean is the world’s largest ecosystem, covering 70% of the earths’ surface and playing host to an estimated 80% of the planet’s biodiversity.
It provides the oxygen for every second breath we take and is the largest natural carbon sink helping to limit the impacts of climate change.
Major industries worldwide both depend upon and impact ocean health. We consider these sectors ‘ocean-linked’ and they collectively contribute to a ‘blue economy’.
These ocean-linked sectors include (among others) shipping, seafood, marine renewable energy, port construction, coastal tourism, coastal infrastructure, and the consumption and production of solid waste material such as plastic.

The Blue Economy

With an annual economic value estimated at USD$2.5 trillion, ocean -linked sectors, or the ‘blue economy’ is equivalent to the world’s 7th largest economy.
Financial Institutions provide the financing, investment and insurance required to power ocean-linked sectors, which are increasingly attracting investors, insurers, banks, and policymakers as a new source of opportunity, resources, and prosperity.
However, the rapid unsustainable growth of these sectors can lead to environmental risks, eroding the ocean’s resource base and creating regulatory, market, reputational and physical risks for financial institutions and their clients.

A Sustainable Blue Economy

We work with financial institutions to steer ocean-linked industry towards a sustainable blue economy.
A sustainable blue economy provides social and economic benefits for current and future generations; restores, protects and maintains diverse, productive and resilient ecosystems; and is based on clean technologies, renewable energy and circular material flows.
UNEP FI works in partnership with the financial community, scientists and experts in the field on practical guidance and toolkits to bring a sustainable blue lens to financial decision-making.
This includes an industry-standard framework (the Principles) as well as supporting guidance on which activities to challenge clients on, which to seek out as opportunities and which to avoid financing due to their damaging nature.