Turning the Tide A Financier's Guide to Investing in Blue Carbon Ecosystems 2026

Foreword Coastal and marine ecosystems are among the world’s most powerful yet under-recognized climate solutions. Mangroves, seagrasses and tidal wetlands protect communities from storms, anchor local economies, and store carbon at extraordinary densities. And yet these ecosystems continue to decline, constrained by a lack of connection between political priorities, community will and clear pathways for investment. As this report makes clear, the challenge before us is not whether blue carbon ecosystems offer value, but how quickly global and domestic financial systems can mobilize the capital required to safeguard and restore them. This work is central to building resilient, equitable and sustainable ocean economies. Through our Blue Carbon Action Partnership, and in deep collaboration with the governments of Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, we have seen first hand the appetite for high-integrity investment models that channel finance to communities and enterprises on the front lines of climate and nature loss. Insights from in-country consultations and technical dialogues with financiers, practitioners and experts that informed this report demonstrate both the urgency and the opportunity: with clear enabling conditions, blended capital and risk-sensitive financial structures, blue carbon ecosystems can become a viable institutional investment theme capable of delivering climate, nature and development outcomes at scale. This report offers a practical and catalytic path forward. Its recommendations reflect the realities shared by practitioners across South-East Asia and the growing recognition that nature-based investments are not peripheral. Rather, they are central to economic stability and long-term prosperity. We hope the guidance and examples presented here equip financial institutions, in partnership with governments, corporations and communities, with the clarity needed to act decisively. With coordinated leadership and strategic finance, South-East Asia can demonstrate a global model where natural capital is valued, communities thrive and the resilience of the region becomes a foundation for shared prosperity. I invite you to join us in turning this opportunity into lasting impact.Alfredo Giron Head of Ocean, World Economic Forum Turning the Tide: A Financier’s Guide to Investing in Blue Carbon EcosystemsApril 2026 Turning the Tide: A Financier’s Guide to Investing in Blue Carbon Ecosystems 3