The ocean can be a powerful economic engine, but only if managed sustainably.

WWF and partners are working to rethink the business-as-usual approach by redirecting mainstream finance into sustainable and restorative development pathways.

This involves rejecting harmful practices and industries, reforming harmful subsidies, and mobilizing finance for ocean conservation through philanthropic partnerships, public and private sector finance. 

Investing in a sustainable "blue" economy can reduce biodiversity loss, build resilient communities and mitigate the effects of climate change.

WWF has built a robust case for reversing the loss of nature in our ocean by underscoring the benefits of reviving the ocean economy and highlighting the value at risk. 

Our Blue Futures Initiative has played a leadership role in this area, including working with partners to develop the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles. These principles provide a global framework to guide investment decisions that can build social, environmental and economic resilience. Sound investment can both future-proof banks and companies, and benefit coastal communities, advancing sustainable development where it is needed most.

Target: By 2030, the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles are mainstreamed into ocean finance decisions leading to at least US$25 billion being channelled into the sustainable blue economy.

The Blue Futures Initiative aims to reduce environmental, social and economic risks, and build resilience by restoring natural capital. This will be achieved by: 

• Broad adoption of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles. Improved knowledge and awareness of the true value of the ocean’s natural capital, the risks of harmful business-as-usual practices and the benefits of sustainable blue economy development pathways create a tipping point that leads to broad adoption and implementation of the principles by the public and private sector finance community. Learn more about the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative, a program co-founded by WWF.
• An enabling environment that reduces risk and builds investor confidence. Strong and effective national sustainable blue economy strategies are in place, including integrated ecosystem-based management tools and approaches such as marine spatial planning, marine protected areas and community-based natural resources management. A range of enablers such as blended financing, guarantees, insurance, and fiscal and market-based incentives, as well as strategic capacity building, are also fully utilized, explored and piloted.
• Influencing the creation of new capital flows toward community-level sustainable blue economy projects, through identifying project pipelines and piloting new incubation approaches and finance mechanisms, empowering communities to develop in a way that does not undermine the health of the ocean and their long-term resilience.

Value at Risk in the Global Blue Economy

Climate risks are now increasingly recognized as financial risks. The same must be true for risks associated with degradation of our ocean’s natural assets -- the biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems that contribute so significantly to our economies and society as a whole. 

If we are to secure a sustainable blue economy, we must transition to a net zero, nature-positive global economy that supports sustainable development.