Episode 10: Blue finance on the international agenda for nature and humanity

This past year has been eventful for the ocean.

Sustainable blue economy was a central theme for global conferences: The UN High Seas Treaty negotiation success, the UN Ocean Conference in Portugal leading to the CBD Biodiversity COP15 in Montreal, the One Ocean Summit in France, Canada hosting IMPAC5, the Our Ocean conference in Panama; all without forgetting the climate COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, as well as the Convention on Wetlands.

Countries and companies alike have pledged enormous amounts of money for ocean conservation. Most recently, UN member states agreed to establish new/special funds for the Global Biodiversity Framework established at COP15 and for implementing the newly agreed High Seas Treaty to protect biodiversity on the high seas.

What are we to make of all this? Will these commitments translate into real actions? Are governments taking definitive steps to protect our ocean, or is this all a lot of hot air?

In this episode, Minna Epps – standing in for Dorothée – is talking to high-level guests about the key actions taken in the ocean conservation and finance space in 2022, as well as the next steps the world must take to make the necessary investments happen.

With thanks to Dr David Cooper, acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; and Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, French Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Issues.

Investing For Ocean Impact is a Fresh Air Production on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It is presented by Dorothée Herr and Minna Epps, and produced by Phil Sansom, with production assistance from Anthony Hobson.

Episode 9: Environmental Economic Accounts: Bookkeeping for the Ocean

Environmental economic accounting is a new process that promises to transform the way we look at biodiversity and ecosystems. It’s based on traditional accounting – using data to track economic flows, record assets, and plan future investments. Might it be possible to account for something as broad and deep as the ocean?

In this episode, Dorothee asks how we might break down the natural world onto a balance sheet, based on results from the very first pilot projects in Australia.

With thanks to Crystal Bradley, Director of Environmental Economic Accounts at the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water; and Ben Milligan, Secretariat Director for the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership.

Investing For Ocean Impact is a Fresh Air Production on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It is presented by Dorothée Herr and produced by Phil Sansom, with production assistance from Anthony Hobson.

Episode 8: Women’s Empowerment as a Key to Unlocking Ocean Finance

Half of the world’s population is female. But on the financing side, men still tend to dominate the boardrooms. Nevertheless, for conservation projects on the ground, local women are increasingly driving the most important work – and enriching their lives in the process.

In this episode we unpack these power dynamics and discuss what it will take for financing systems to really empower and benefit women, plus – we discover how young female enterpreneurs are taking matters into their own hands.

With thanks to Lorena Aguilar, Executive Director of the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls; and Anga Mbeyiya, Founder of Ole Blu.

Investing For Ocean Impact is a Fresh Air Production on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It is presented by Dorothée Herr and produced by Phil Sansom, with production assistance from Anthony Hobson.

Episode 7: Green-grey infrastructure: coastal development that benefits the environment

Green-grey infrastructure is a fascinating new concept. It describes Nature-based Solutions like mangroves or coral reefs that can work as or alongside grey infrastructure projects – like ports, seawalls, or water treatment plants. In a time of rising sea levels as well as increased coastal development, this kind of thinking is more important than ever.

In this episode, Dorothée explores what green-grey infrastructure actually means, and what needs to change to drive the world’s heavy infrastructure to work for the good of the ocean.

Featuring Margot Clarvis, Head of Nature-based Solutions at C-Quest Capital; and Ido Sella, Co-founder and CEO of ECOncrete.

Episode 6: The High Seas: the last frontier for ocean finance

Welcome to the High Seas. More than two hundred nautical miles beyond any coastline, these wild waters make up two thirds of the entire ocean and perform crucial functions like protecting fish and regulating our climate. But when it comes to global conservation action, they get little attention.

That might change very soon. A new treaty is in development – the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, or BBNJ – that aims to manage the High Seas for the good of everyone. In this episode we’ll discuss how the agreement is going to work, and crucially, who is going to pay for the conservation of these last frontiers.

Featuring Rashid Sumaila, Professor of Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the University of British Columbia; and Torsten Thiele, Founder of the Global Ocean Trust.

Episode 5: Are blue bonds the silver bullet for ocean conservation? Part II

This is part two of our double feature on blue bonds.

Last time we were introduced to blue bonds through the pioneering example of the Seychelles a few years ago. But today there’s a whole new generation of debt-for-nature swaps that restructure the debt of entire countries.

In this episode, we speak to two of the people responsible for designing these deals to find out how they work – including the complex insurance clauses tying them together – and how widely they could be replicated.

Featuring Slav Gatchev, Managing Director of Sustainable Debt at The Nature Conservancy; and Simon Young, Senior Director of the Climate and Resilience Hub at Willis Towers Watson.

**SHOW NOTES**
You can find out more about Slav and Simon’s ‘inverted avocado’ here: http://bit.ly/3UaLzIw

Episode 4: Are blue bonds the silver bullet for ocean conservation? Part I

What are blue bonds? They’re some of the biggest deals in ocean finance today – in some cases involving restructuring the debt of entire nations. But how do they actually work?

This is part one of two episodes about blue bonds, where we’re travelling to the Seychelles to talk about the first blue bond ever created – and asking how they deliver money to Nature-based Solutions.

Featuring Marie-May Jeremie, CEO of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust; and Melissa Walsh, Sustainable Ocean Finance Lead at the Minderoo Foundation.

Episode 3: Insights from the boardroom: two investors on Nature-based Solutions and tech investments

On this podcast we talk a lot about Nature-based Solutions. But the devil is in the detail for actually implementing them in an investible way on the ground.

So in this episode, Dorothée Herr is joined by two seasoned investors to help break down the challenges in investing into Nature-based Solutions, and discuss what other investments – such as tech – can offer in support.

Featuring Yabanex Batista, Deputy Head of the UN’s Global Fund for Coral Reefs; and Jonas Skattum Svegaarden, CEO of Katapult Ocean.

Episode 2: Blended finance and super typhoons: a reality check from the Philippines

When a deadly super typhoon hit the Philippines last year, it damaged thousands of local livelihoods and wiped out much of their seaweed production. Blended finance – and an investor able to adapt – provided a lifeline.

In this episode we’re revisiting Coast4C for an update on the real-life challenges of Nature-based Solutions project development, as well as talking to a fund manager who helped close a vital deal with them at an incredibly challenging time.

Featuring Nick Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of Coast4C; and Gracie White, Senior Manager of Global Ocean Investments at Conservation International Ventures.

Episode 1: Why private finance for ocean conservation?

Welcome to season 2! In the first episode, we’re going back to basics. Why should the private sector be involved in ocean finance in the first place?

Private finance actors and their contributions are being increasingly recognised — but not everyone is on board with their new place in ocean conservation and restoration. Are we making a deal with the devil? Is this a waste of taxpayers’ money? Or is it crucial for the future of our ocean?

Featuring Ivo Mulder, Head of the UN Environment Programme’s Climate Finance Unit; and Melissa Garvey, Global Director of Ocean Protection at The Nature Conservancy.