Green-blue finance for marine nature-based solutions

Researching innovative finance models to support marine recovery, protection and enhancement
Seagrass meadow
 
New financial models designed to channel capital into marine recovery, protection and enhancement are attracting growing interest. This attention is driven by two factors: a critical underfunding of marine conservation set against ongoing global trends of biodiversity decline across all ecosystems and habitats, and a rising perception of the ocean as a viable investment frontier.
Yet how this interest can be effectively translated into tangible benefits for marine biodiversity and ecosystem services remains uncertain. This three-year University of Plymouth-funded Global Challenge Research Fellowship is tackling this knowledge gap.
Direct engagement with global leaders in green and blue finance is charting the status of blue finance practice. Research consolidates experiential and research-derived knowledge to appraise progress against the critical challenges to blue finance scaling and effectiveness.
Challenges to the field of blue finance include:
  1. Definition. Blue finance remains an ambiguous term covering a range of models and mechanisms. Which models work for whom and what level of definition is required to support coordinated action is a key gap.
  2. Valuation. There is little consensus on what evidence is needed to maintain the legitimacy of blue finance, and how investment outcomes should be demonstrated to ensure accountability.
  3. Capacity. Scaling blue finance demands collaboration across sectors that typically have had limited interface. New skillsets, institutional frameworks, and infrastructure are needed to support innovation in capital mobilisation.
  4. Policy and governance. Central government support for blue finance is widely viewed as essential to enabling blue finance. Effective support will entail a systemic vision for a sustainable economy.
This research will help us understand 'how to do' blue finance. It will also identify opportunities and pathways for effective and sustainable private-public governance of marine biodiversity, helping to secure the public and private investment needed for marine ecosystem recovery.
A joint interdisciplinary initiative across the University, the fellowship links to other University of Plymouth research and training, such as CDT SuMMeR , biodiversity credits , seagrass investment , maritime business and the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Index .
The research is complimented by active collaboration with industry partners, such as the University of Plymouth Entrepreneur in Residence pilot with Amey. This initiative supplements the Global Challenge Research Fellowship through an exploration of corporate biodiversity governance to lead understanding and innovation in private-sector investment in sustainability.

This fellowship seeks to build further depth into our understanding, expertise and leadership in the University on delivery of blue finance that works for both restoration of the marine environment and sustainable blue economy and investment sectors.

Working across Faculties to bring together economic, social and natural science disciplines enables us to identify the links required and the mechanisms to connect available finance with the needs of marine environmental and biodiversity restoration.

Melanie AustenProfessor Melanie Austen
Professor of Ocean and Society

Research in blue finance is more timely and vital than ever. This fellowship is a unique opportunity that supports essential collaboration with international leaders in blue finance, to lead innovation in knowledge and practice to advance sustainable blue economies underpinned by healthy marine ecosystems.

Holly NinerDr Holly Niner
Global Challenge Research Fellow: Blue finance for nature-based solutions

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The Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources (CDT SuMMeR) is training PhD students to be the next generation of innovative, transdisciplinary researchers, solution providers and practitioners supporting government and non-government sectors to deliver sustainable management of our precious marine resources.
Students graduating from SuMMeR CDT are highly employable experts who are part of a career-boosting network of uniquely trained transdisciplinary scientists.
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