Protecting Our World Heritage, Insuring a Sustainable Future

This report shows that plastic pollution risks can affect insurance and investment portfolios in the form of physical, transition, liability and reputational risks. The study identifies how risks related to plastic pollution play out across insurance lines and asset classes in which insurers invest.

This seminal guidance is a market-first practical toolkit for financial institutions to pivot their activities towards financing a sustainable blue economy. Designed for banks, insurers and investors, the guidance outlines how to avoid and mitigate environmental and social risks and impacts, as well as highlighting opportunities, when providing capital to companies or projects within the blue economy.

The report maps the current state of ocean finance revealing trends in lending, underwriting and investment activities which impact the ocean. It reveals frameworks and financial instruments that are successfully addressing ocean sustainability and highlights new opportunities and gaps in the market. It looks across 5 major ocean-linked sectors chosen for their established connection with private finance: seafood, ports, maritime transport, coastal and marine tourism and marine renewable energy.