"By setting a clear vision and practical recommendations, the Protocol aims to empower all stakeholders - public and private - to scale up and accelerate actions that protect marine ecosystems, support sustainable livelihoods and drive inclusive economic development," the UN stated.
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The United Nations Global Compact and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) have launched the Ocean Investment Protocol, a new framework designed to help drive investment into a "Sustainable Ocean Economy" projected to be worth $5.5 trillion by 2050.
Announced in New York last week, the Protocol offers practical guidance for financial institutions, ocean industries, governments, and development finance bodies to "align financial flows with ocean health".
According to the UN announcement, the guidance builds on the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Ocean Principles and UNEP FI’s Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, and supports global goals such as Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), the Paris Agreement, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
"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," the UN stated via a press release.
"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 UN emphasised that the global ocean underpins 90% of the world's trade volume, meaning the ocean economy stands as the fifth-largest economy worldwide.
"The ocean is at a tipping point - and the decisions we make now will determine the future of life below water and far beyond," said Eric Usher, Head, UNEP Finance Initiative, in a press release. However, Usher warned, "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," Usher added.
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, said businesses, governments and development finance institutions play a "transformative role" in ocean protection, adding that the new Protocol "provides a blueprint for accelerating responsible investments and ensuring that all sectors of the economy contribute to a healthy and productive ocean.”
The Protocol includes recommendations on managing environmental risks and promoting growth across key sectors such as offshore renewables, fisheries, shipping, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
It also emphasizes the importance of transparency in reporting nature-related risks and impacts, and highlights the need for supportive policy environments and increased development finance, particularly in vulnerable coastal regions.
The release comes amid growing global momentum for ocean protection, including efforts to implement the Global Plastics Treaty and High Seas Treaty, and shortly before the UN Ocean Conference takes place in Nice, France, from 9-13 June.
Last week, the European Union and a further six member states formally ratified the High Seas treaty, taking the tally to 28 out of the 60 ratifications needed for the legislation to enter into force.