Readings

Introduction
Blue Finance is in its building phase. This page records the readings, reports, and reflections guiding the work as the field of Blue Finance takes shape. These notes are not formal citations but a curated trail of the most influential materials encountered along the way.

Foundations of Blue Finance

• Robert C. Brears – Blue Finance: Building the Sustainable Ocean Economy with Blue Bonds, Debt Swaps, Nature-Positive Finance, Ocean Conservation, and Climate Solutions (2025)
  A practical guide to building the sustainable ocean economy through financial innovation. Explores how instruments such as blue bonds, debt swaps, and blended mechanisms can unlock investment in conservation, resilience, and climate adaptation.
• UNEP FI – Turning the Tide: How to Finance a Sustainable Ocean Recovery (2021)
  Defines the framework for aligning financial flows with SDG 14 and introduces the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles.
• OECD – Sustainable Ocean for All (2020)
  Early mapping of how blue finance can bridge ocean stewardship and inclusive economic growth.

Global Case Studies

• Seychelles Blue Bond – A pioneering sovereign instrument linking debt relief to marine conservation outcomes.
• Belize Blue Bond for Ocean Conservation – Innovative debt-for-nature swap backed by The Nature Conservancy and U.S. DFC.
• Indonesia Sustainable Ocean Program – Blended finance initiative supporting fisheries reform and coastal resilience.

Policy and Regulation

• European Commission – Blue Economy Report (2023)
  Integrates ocean economy metrics into sustainable finance frameworks.
• IMF – Fiscal Policies for a Blue Economy (2022)
  Explores how fiscal instruments and subsidies can align with ocean sustainability.
• Government of Canada – Sustainable Finance Action Council Updates
  Reflects a shift toward private-sector agency in achieving national net-zero and biodiversity targets.

Ethics and Systems Thinking

• Joanna Macy – Active Hope
  Framework for staying engaged amid environmental uncertainty.
• E.F. Schumacher – Small Is Beautiful
  Foundational thinking on economics as if people and planet mattered.
• Kate Raworth – Doughnut Economics
  Redefines prosperity within planetary boundaries.
• Thich Nhat Hanh – The World We Have
  A call for mindfulness and ecological interdependence.