November 2019: Special session at the Sustainable Ocean Summit on investing in the blue economy, with expertise from Better Finance

At the World Ocean Council (WOC) Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) 2019 (20-22 November, Paris), the “Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles” workshop will explore actions for the finance sector to accelerate uptake of finance-related policies, practices, financial instruments, opportunities and initiatives to advance a Sustainable Blue Economy. Participants will gain insights into practical approaches to integrating ocean sustainability into market practice and emerging opportunities to scale up action. The workshop will set the stage for the next steps of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Initiative, to be hosted by UNEP FI. The event will focus on implementation of Principles 8, 9 and 10 of the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles developed by the European Commission, WWF, European Investment Bank and Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit.

Speakers confirmed for the workshop include:
• Bernhard Friess, Director Maritime Policy and the Blue Economy, European Commission
• Louise Heaps, Chief Adviser for Marine, WWF
• Chip Cunliffe, Director, Sustainable Development, AXA XL
• Tenke Zoltani, Founder, Better Finance and Development Finance Advisor, UNDP
• Dennis Fritsch, PhD, Researcher, Responsible Investor
• Liesel van Ast, Acting Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Blue Economy Lead, UNEP Finance Initiative

With the theme of “Investing in Ocean Futures: Finance and Innovation for the Blue Economy”, the SOS 2019 will be the foremost international business conference dedicated to investment and innovation for ocean sustainable development.