Our blue planet is in the red

From global trade routes to coastal tourism and sustainable fisheries, the ocean sustains the lives and livelihoods of over 3 billion people, including the most vulnerable.

Yet, this greatest shared resource is under threat. Pollution, overfishing, rising temperatures, and biodiversity loss are eroding its ability to sustain economies and communities. Developing countries that depend on the ocean for food and livelihoods now face mounting risks.  

And while the threats grow, financing to protect the ocean remains dangerously inadequate.  

This must change. 

We need to scale up and rethink how we finance ocean health. Blue finance—investments that support the sustainable use and protection of marine ecosystems—is one of the most powerful tools we have. With the right policies and partnerships in place, blue finance can create jobs, protect vulnerable communities, and promote inclusive growth. 
 
The private sector has a crucial role to play. Nature-based solutions, such as restoring mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows, offer high-impact, low-cost investment opportunities with measurable benefits for carbon storage and disaster risk reduction. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are lifelines for nutrition and jobs. In 2021, fish and seaweed provided at least 20 percent of the protein intake for 3.2 billion people. By 2050, that demand is expected to double. 

Growing this sector is both a necessity and an opportunity. 
 
Blue finance is already delivering results. In the Seychelles, the government issued the world’s first sovereign blue bond, raising $15 million for marine conservation and sustainable fisheries. The bond complemented a debt swap for nature that helped designate 30 percent of the country’s waters, as marine protected areas.   

In the Pacific Islands, policy reforms supported by the World Bank Group boosted fishing licenses revenues from $70 million in 2009 to $495 million in 2021. This enabled the private sector to invest and triple onshore processing and tuna exports, creating 25,000 jobs.   

These are just a few examples. With the right public private partnerships and instruments, blue finance can go further and faster.  

Yet, according to recent World Bank Group research, private capital makes up less than 1 percent of total ocean-related finance. High transaction costs, unclear regulations, and weak market structures continue to block progress. 

So, what can be done? 

First, countries need to strengthen market and financial ecosystems by reducing transaction costs and improving data and verification systems to attract private sector investment.   

Second, blue finance needs to be mainstreamed into national policies to align ocean investments with national priorities and unlock new funding streams.   

Third, regulatory policies and risk frameworks need to be standardized and aligned to enable private sector participation.  

Fourth, local communities need to be involved in designing and implementing solutions that meet both local needs and national goals. 

Investing in the ocean is not a luxury. It is a foundation for sustainable development and a win for the economy, environment, planet, and people.  

This is why the World Bank Group is ramping up support for the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources—restoring ocean health to drive growth, food security, and job creation. This commitment is anchored in our blue economy approach that drives sustainable growth while restoring and preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. 

The World Bank’s Blue Economy portfolio has nearly doubled from US$5.9 billion in FY20 to $10.5 billion in FY24. On the private sector side, our International Finance Corporation has supported nearly $2 billion in blue bonds and loans across regions, driven by the launch of the IFC Guidelines for Blue Finance in 2022, which is now widely adopted by markets and in national taxonomies.  

Let’s be clear: Blue finance is not just about the ocean—it's about people. It is about ensuring that coastal communities can thrive, small islands can withstand the storms, and biodiversity can be protected for generations to come.  

This is why we need to scale up blue finance—because a thriving ocean is essential for a livable planet. 

This piece originally appeared in Le Monde (in French).