Untapped Wealth Poised to Unlock $90.5 Trillion Ocean Investment Boom
Monaco/Belém – A massive transfer of wealth, coupled with growing recognition of the ocean’s critical role in climate regulation, is creating a unique opportunity to unlock meaningful investment in lasting ocean practices, according to experts. With $90.5 trillion held by high-net-worth individuals in 2024, and a projected $83 trillion wealth transfer to younger generations over the next two decades, a new wave of “blue economy” funding is on the horizon.
The current financial landscape presents a challenge: institutional investors are often constrained by short-term return expectations – typically seven to ten-year horizons – and risk-averse strategies, creating a “transition wall” that hinders long-term investment in ocean health.However, this is where high-net-worth individuals and their family offices can play a pivotal role.
Family offices, uniquely positioned to deploy capital across philanthropic and market-rate investments, possess the flexibility needed to generate returns while simultaneously driving positive change in the ocean economy. This potential was highlighted at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco, a special event of the third United Nations Ocean Conference, and further reinforced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil. Both events underscored the ocean’s importance as a climate regulator and a viable investment opportunity.
Experts emphasize the need for foundational architecture to support ocean finance, including early-stage support, de-risking instruments, and innovative business models that align investments with the ocean’s regenerative potential. Blended finance structures, concessionary capital, and tailored investment vehicles are crucial to attract investors across the spectrum, from philanthropic organizations to institutional funds.
Investing in ocean resilience isn’t simply a moral obligation, it’s a sound financial strategy. As the authors note,it’s a “forward hedge,not a sunk cost,” with early movers poised to shape the future of ocean finance,define industry standards,and capitalize on the resulting growth. Ultimately, recognizing that “ocean health is planetary health, which is the foundation of all economic value” should drive capital managers – across all investment vehicles - to actively seek exposure to the blue economy.
(This report draws from commentary published as part of *The Ocean Imperative debate, supported by The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and AXA.)*
