A collective of United Nations agencies and global partners has launched the co-design process for One Ocean Finance—a new effort invites all sectors—governments, industry, finance, and civil society—to come together in shaping a more coherent and inclusive ocean finance architecture that reflects the true value of the ocean as a global asset.
Despite the ocean’s central role in global trade, food security, climate regulation, and livelihoods, Sustainable Development Goal 14 remains the least funded, with less than $10 billion invested between 2015 and 2019—far short of the estimated $175 billion needed annually. One Ocean Finance aims to unlock billions in financing from ocean-dependent industries and Blue Economy sectors and to deploy them through blended financial instruments that can de-risk innovation and unlock private investment.
“This collaborative process will bring together governments, financial institutions, ocean industries, the United Nations, and civil society to collectively shape a new financial future for the ocean,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Through the development of One Ocean Finance, our goal is to address decades of chronic underinvestment, consolidate fragmented efforts, and design a system that is equitable, agile, and responsive to the needs of coastal communities and marine ecosystems.”
One Ocean Finance is being advanced by a multi-agency collective including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-IOC), the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Resources Institute (WRI), among others.
It aims to complement existing funds, reduce fragmentation, and align financial flows with ocean health, economic opportunity, and coastal resilience—especially for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
“The ocean regulates our climate, feeds billions, and powers global trade, yet it is undervalued, underfunded, and overexploited,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “We need to redesign ocean finance—grounded in equity, guided by science, and powered by the potential of ocean-dependent industries. One Ocean Finance represents a movement toward systems-level transformation, enabling fairer, faster, and larger-scale financing—mobilizing public and private capital to restore marine ecosystems and deliver justice to the communities who depend on them.”
Once operational, One Ocean Finance will draw the majority of its capital from ocean-dependent industries—such as shipping, tourism, ports, marine cables, and insurance—through such mechanisms as user fees, solidarity levies, ecosystem service payments, and dynamic pricing models. The Facility is being structured to deploy the full suite of financial instruments and innovative de-risking tools needed to unlock investment at scale and deliver equitable, high-impact solutions.
“Today’s ocean finance remains too fragmented, too inequitable, and too slow to meet the urgency of the moment,” said Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Executive Secretary of UNCDF, which mobilizes and catalyses an increase in capital flows and serves first and foremost least development countries and other vulnerable nations, as set out by the UN General Assembly resolution of 1974. “Through this co-design process, we are shaping a purpose-built platform that delivers catalytic grants, patient capital for local innovators, and blended finance to crowd in private investment. One Ocean Finance will accelerate the sustainable transition of industries, drive climate-smart innovation, and empower the communities working to protect and restore ocean ecosystems.”
“Science must guide ocean action. Data must guide ocean investments.” said Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. “A One Ocean Finance Facility would offer an opportunity to embed the health and natural capital of the ocean into financial systems, ensuring decisions are based on robust data in support of a regenerative and resilient ocean.”
“Ocean-dependent industries must be part of the solution,” said Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact. “One Ocean Finance presents an opportunity to build stronger public-private partnerships that accelerate sustainable transitions, decouple growth from degradation, align business practices with ocean stewardship, and unlock triple-win investments—for resilient industries, thriving coastal communities, and a healthy ocean.”
“Coastal and marine tourism must evolve to support sustainability, not undermine it,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. “Through the One Ocean Finance Facility, we can accelerate investments that decouple tourism growth from environmental degradation and uplift local communities.”
