A bold new initiative, One Ocean Finance, has been launched by a coalition of UN agencies and international partners, aiming to revolutionize global finance for ocean conservation and sustainable development. Announced at the Blue Economy Finance Forum in Monaco, the initiative opens a co-design phase that will shape an inclusive financial platform dedicated to the health of the world’s oceans.
The initiative seeks to close the persistent “ocean finance gap,” which has seen Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) receive the least funding of all the global goals. Between 2015 and 2019, only $10 billion was directed toward ocean sustainability far short of the $175 billion required annually. One Ocean Finance aims to mobilize both public and private capital, not only to safeguard marine ecosystems but also to support ocean-based industries and build the resilience of coastal communities.
Structured around equity, science, and innovation the initiative is designed to bring transformative investment to sectors like shipping, fisheries, marine tourism, and undersea telecommunications. It proposes a range of mechanisms from ecosystem service payments and user fees to blended finance tools to de-risk investments and attract long-term funding, especially for vulnerable nations and Small Island Developing States.
The platform’s upcoming design phase will involve collaboration with governments, financial institutions, private enterprises, and local communities, ensuring that those most dependent on the ocean have a central voice in shaping its financial future. The full launch is set for the Fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028.
Backed by key institutions such as UNEP, UNDP, UNCDF, UNESCO-IOC, IUCN, and WRI, One Ocean Finance is envisioned as a turning point embedding the value of marine ecosystems into global economic systems and paving the way for a regenerative blue economy.
This ambitious effort signals a new era where ocean health is treated not just as an environmental priority, but as a foundational element of global prosperity, equity, and resilience.