Blue Finance 2026
Financing nature recovery — from capital markets to the coast
Wednesday 11 November 2026 · One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London
The money exists. It isn’t reaching the coast.
The inaugural Blue Finance in 2025 convened over 200 people from across finance, government, industry and ocean sustainability, and made the macro case: the ocean is one of the world’s great assets, yet it draws a fraction of the investment its recovery requires.
That case is made. The question for 2026 is more practical, and more uncomfortable. Why isn’t the capital moving?
Blue Finance 2026 follows the journey money has to make — from institutional capital markets to the coast itself, and to the businesses, large and small, whose decisions determine what actually happens in the water. It asks how the UK reshapes that pathway well enough to become a model others follow.
Four tracks, one journey
A · Scaling the market
Building investable natural capital markets for marine nature
Blue carbon, marine net gain, nutrient neutrality and biodiversity credits are where the Crown Estate, devolved governments, regulators and private buyers are all working now. But markets only scale if buyers trust what they’re buying and sellers can deliver what they promise.
B · Blended finance and catalytic capital
Making public and philanthropic money work harder
First-loss layers, guarantees, concessional capital and blended vehicles — what actually crowds money in, and why so many structures never reach close.
C · The last mile
Getting finance to communities and the coast
The heart of the event. Capital accumulates at the top; the people who deliver recovery operate at a scale finance isn’t built to serve, in a marine space that’s contested and heavily consented.
D · Procurement, disclosure and influence
Financing prevention, not just repair
The biggest lever for preventing harm isn’t new capital — it’s the conditions attached to capital and trade that already exist. Purchase orders, sourcing standards and disclosure rules often move practice faster than a fund or a regulator can.
The day
One day, three rooms. Keynotes and plenary panels in the lecture theatre, with parallel tracks, practitioner-led workshops and roundtables alongside.
We’re planning an evening reception to close the day. Speakers and the full programme will be announced through September.
Tickets
Super early-bird | until 31 August | £165
Early bird | 1-30 September | £179
Full price | from 1 October | £199
* Concessions from £95 for charities, community organisations, the unemployed and students.
Partner with us
If your organisation would like to be part of Blue Finance 2026 — as a partner, or by hosting a session — get in touch at conference@coastms.co.uk.
2025 Conference Archive
*Please note – all information below relates to our 2025 event. Further detail about Blue Finance 2026 will be coming soon. Please register your interest if you would like to be notified when information goes live*
🔗 Read the 2025 Conference Report
2025 saw Ocean and Coastal Futures launch our inaugural Blue Finance event, in addition to our wider portfolio of marine and coastal sector events.
Momentum for investing in nature and biodiversity is growing, with public and private sector drivers requiring action to secure nature-positive outcomes.
The Blue Finance: Investing in Ocean Sustainability event brought together ocean sustainability and finance specialists to explore how capital can be directed toward sustainable investment. Through dialogue and collaboration between these communities, the conference aimed to catalyse finance solutions that ensure returns on investment through protecting and restoring ocean health, and generating equitable outcomes for communities.
This event sought to align financial opportunities with sustainable marine stewardship to meet our ambitious marine commitments and ensure a thriving and prosperous ocean for current and future generations.
2025 Themes
Key discussion themes in 2025 included:
- Developing a shared language across financial institutions and ocean sustainability practitioners to enhance collaboration and investor confidence
- Connecting Finance and Ocean Sustainability
- Ensuring finance reaches the right places at the right time and at the scale needed to drive meaningful change
- Measuring investment impact to guarantee sustainable outcomes for the environment, local communities, and the economy
- Unlocking Capital to Scale Up Ocean Restoration
- Unlocking Funding Pathways for Resilient Coastal Communities
2025 conference details
*Please note this is the 2025 programme – details for our 2026 event will be coming soon*
The 2026 venue
One Birdcage Walk, London
