Ocean Investment Protocol offers practical guidance to unlock capital needed for sustainable ocean economy projected to reach $5.5 trln by 2050

Ocean Investment Protocol offers practical guidance to unlock capital needed for sustainable ocean economy projected to reach $5.5 trln by 2050
02 / 06 / 2025
By Marwa Nassar - -

The United Nations Global Compact and the UN Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) unveiled the Ocean Investment Protocol which equips financial actors with practical guidance to unlock the capital needed for a sustainable and inclusive ocean economy projected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2050.

The protocol is a comprehensive guide designed to mobilize and scale finance for a healthy and resilient ocean that supports a strong and innovative Sustainable Ocean Economy. Building on the UN Global Compact Sustainable Ocean Principles and UNEP FI’s Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, the Protocol provides financial institutions, insurers and re-insurers, ocean industries, governments and development finance institutions with a clear pathway to collectively lead the growth of the Sustainable Ocean Economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG14 (“Life Below Water”).

A thriving ocean is essential for biodiversity, food security, climate resilience, and global livelihoods. The Sustainable Ocean Economy links ocean health with prosperity, making targeted finance more urgent than ever. It is central to achieving the targets of the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. With ocean health inseparable from global prosperity, mounting pressures—rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, pollution, biodiversity loss, weak governance, and inequitable access to marine resources—highlight the urgency of dedicated investments and policies that safeguard marine ecosystems and drive equitable economic opportunities.

The ocean economy is already equivalent in size to the world’s fifth-largest economy as global markets are reliant on the ocean and its industries to support 90 percent of global trade volume. Developing a regenerative and sustainable ocean economy is becoming increasingly central to global transitions in trade, infrastructure, energy, climate resilience, food security and regenerative tourism. The Ocean Investment Protocol responds to the critical need for swift, holistic efforts to preserve ocean ecosystems and foster growth in sustainable ocean-based sectors. It outlines actionable steps to align investments with nature- and climate-positive outcomes, fostering innovation across key ocean sectors.

By 2050, the market value of a refocused, sustainable and fairly shared ocean economy is projected to reach USD$5.5 trillion.

Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director, UN Global Compact, emphasized the Protocol’s focus on uniting diverse stakeholders: “The Ocean Investment Protocol underscores the transformative role that businesses, governments and development finance institutions can play in protecting our oceans for future generations. It provides a blueprint for accelerating responsible investments and ensuring that all sectors of the economy contribute to a healthy and productive ocean.”

“The ocean is at a tipping point—and the decisions we make now will determine the future of life below water and far beyond. The Ocean Investment Protocol equips financial actors with practical guidance to unlock the capital needed for a sustainable and inclusive ocean economy projected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2050. But finance alone is not enough. Policymakers must send clear signals and create enabling environments that make sustainable ocean investment the smart, secure, and strategic choice. This Protocol calls on public and private leaders alike to align capital with ocean health—because a thriving blue planet is a foundation for prosperity, resilience, and global progress,” said Eric Usher, Head, UNEP Finance Initiative.

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