The need for significantly increased investment to achieve the targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 14 Life below water, is well understood. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) cites a USD2.5 trillion gap in investments required to fully realize the SDGs, and it’s unlikely that all of this financing will come from government and donor support. Private sector investment has a critical role to play in achieving the targets, with an opportunity to redirect billions of dollars of capital away from unsustainable investment towards sustainable, blue economy investments in East Asia.
To address this need and opportunity, a number of new funds and investment facilities are emerging to focus on investing in sustainable development of oceans, in sectors including sustainable fisheries, marine pollution and coastal tourism. However, investors often face challenges in sourcing projects that can support the SDGs while offering viable investment models.
At the same time, strong collaboration between local government and business will be crucial. Along with safeguarding the health of coastal ecosystems and communities, it can open pathways for new opportunities for companies. The potential of effective public-private partnership for coastal and ocean management has been discussed for some time, but the reality of forging concrete, value-added partnerships has in many cases remained elusive. Companies can struggle to move beyond mere compliance or approaches that are disconnected from their core business, while public institutions and local governments may wonder how to best engage with the private sector in ways that achieve their goals while adding value that incentivizes companies to partner.
Join global and regional experts on November 28th at the EAS Congress 2018 in Iloilo City, Philippines as they explore emerging investment models and opportunities to catalyze both public and private financing to build a pipeline of opportunities unlocking the ocean investment potential in the region. Speakers include Circulate Capital, an investment management firm raising US$90 million in funding to combat ocean plastic, along with other organizations developing innovative models for investment in marine protection and tourism, sustainable aquaculture, coastal habitats and wastewater, including Asian Development Bank, Blue finance, Blueyou, the Meloy Fund, IUCN’s Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility and Capital 4 Development. ARCOWA, which advises on the use of green and grey infrastructure to manage water resources and marine environments, will share findings from recently released reports developed in collaboration with PEMSEA on investing in wastewater treatment and new opportunities for extracting water, energy and nutrients from wastewater streams in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
A second session on November 28th will examine the role of business and its needs and expectations for collaborative coastal and ocean management. Building on insights from recent research on developing a sustainable business roadmap for oceans for the region, panelists from Coca-Cola, Ten Knots Group / El Nido Resorts, Zoological Society of London and Meliomar Seafood Company will share their experiences with partnerships supporting ocean conservation in sectors including consumer products, coastal tourism, textiles and sustainable seafood. Development partners can play an important bridging role in helping companies to address their challenges related to coasts and oceans. Experts from the World Ocean Council, Philippine Business for Environment and IUCN will discuss their role in supporting sustainable development of coasts and oceans in East Asia and the potential opportunities for private sector collaboration.
The full programs for these sessions on Filling the Pipeline: A Sustainable Ocean Investment Ecosystem for the Seas of East Asia and From Potential to Reality: Business Leadership for a Blue Economy in the Seas of East Asia are now available.
To find more information or register for the EAS Congress 2018 visit http://eascongress2018.pemsea.org or contact the EAS Congress Secretariat at eascongress2018@pemsea.org.