Pearl Bay Forum Pushes Stronger Global Ties to Turn the Ocean into Investable Climate Projects

Overseas experts call for practical cooperation at the Nansha sub-forum

At a focused sub-forum of the Pearl Bay Climate Investment and Financing Conference in Nansha, visiting experts from Spain and Brazil urged a step up in international cooperation on the blue economy and sustainable finance. The session brought together government officials, development banks, researchers and private investors to argue that the oceans are no longer a policy afterthought but an urgent front for climate action and new markets.

Speakers framed their message simply: move from pilot projects and scattered grants to coordinated, bankable programs that can draw long-term capital. They cited examples ranging from sustainable fisheries and marine protected areas to ports decarbonization and offshore renewables, and recommended tools like blue-bond issues, blended finance facilities and harmonized reporting rules to make projects investable. The tone was practical rather than flashy: experts pressed for clear rules, shared definitions and multilateral arrangements that lower investor risk and speed capital flows across borders.

Why ocean-focused finance matters for capital markets and ESG portfolios

The blue economy covers industries that depend on the sea — shipping, fisheries, aquaculture, ports, offshore energy and coastal tourism — and the policies that protect marine health. That mix matters to capital markets because it includes large, long-lived assets and steady revenue streams if projects are well structured. For example, ports and offshore wind can absorb bond financing; sustainable aquaculture can deliver predictable cash flows once regulatory risk is tamed.

From an ESG perspective, investors are watching for credible ways to fund nature-positive outcomes and decarbonization beyond land-based solutions. International cooperation matters because capital often crosses borders. If each country uses different definitions, reporting methods or eligibility rules, it becomes costly for global funds to scale up investments. Harmonized standards and common bankability tests make it easier for pensions, insurers and long-term funds to commit real money to ocean projects.

Spain and Brazil set out concrete priorities and pilot ideas

Speakers from Spain highlighted Iberian experience in port electrification, coastal habitat restoration pilots and coordination under European frameworks. They argued Spain’s lessons on public–private partnerships and regional governance could help shape scalable blue-bond templates. Brazilian experts focused on coastal and Amazon-adjacent blue projects where conservation and livelihoods intersect, citing state-level initiatives that marry fisheries management with credit lines for sustainable operators.

Both delegations pushed similar priority areas: sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine protected area financing, sustainable shipping and port upgrades, and early-stage technologies such as blue hydrogen and offshore renewables. They also recommended building partnerships that link universities, regional development banks and private banks to run pilot pipelines that prove the economics of ocean projects.

Policy moves to watch: taxonomies, blue bonds and blended finance

Experts at the sub-forum sketched several policy paths that would matter to markets. First, aligning national and regional taxonomies so a ‘blue’ label means the same thing across jurisdictions. Second, creating standard blue-bond frameworks with clear use-of-proceeds rules and independent verification. Third, using blended finance — mixing concessional public money with private capital — to bridge early-stage risk and raise debt at scale.

Such steps reduce information and regulatory risk for investors. Harmonized rules and verified bond frameworks make it easier for institutional owners to include ocean projects in ESG allocations. Blended finance and guarantees can bring risks down to levels familiar to pension funds and insurers, unlocking larger pools of capital over time.

Financing tools, remaining gaps and what investors should monitor

The market toolbox is already recognizable: blue bonds, green/blue taxonomies, public–private partnerships, blended finance vehicles, risk mitigation through guarantees and specialized insurance. Impact investors and climate funds can play early-stage roles while commercial lenders scale in later.

Gaps remain. Many ocean projects are small or geographically scattered, which hurts bankability. Measurement and verification of marine outcomes lag behind land-based standards. Insurance markets for certain marine risks are thin. Investors and policymakers alike should watch for standardization that aggregates small projects, credible outcome metrics, and pilot bond issues that set pricing benchmarks.

Where to go next: early steps for policymakers and capital allocators

The sub-forum sent a clear, modest message: the blue economy could be investable, but only with rules, pilots and multilateral effort. Policymakers should prioritize taxonomy alignment, pilot blue-bond programmes and blended-finance facilities that prove cash flows. Investors and development institutions should track those pilots, engage in working groups that shape verification standards, and support aggregation platforms that turn many small projects into bankable assets.

In short, the forum offered a road map rather than a quick fix. If the ideas take hold, the next stage will be testing — and pricing — real ocean projects for large-scale finance.

Sources

• prnewswire.com