Solomon Islands to Pilot New Model of Reef-Positive Finance

As the world looks to COP30 in Belem to deliver ambitious breakthroughs for climate and nature, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), co-led by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), have joined forces to drive investment in reef-positive businesses in Solomon Islands. 

The initiative aims to help local enterprises grow in ways that protect coral ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and support long term climate resilience. The partnership aims to strengthen the resilience of communities by supporting enterprises that depend on and protect healthy coral ecosystems.

Situated within the Coral Triangle, Solomon Islands host some of the most biologically rich and climate resilient reef systems on earth. These reef systems are among the planet’s most valuable ecosystems, alleviating poverty, providing coastal protection, and enabling economic opportunity to millions of people. Yet, local pressures such as overfishing, coastal development, and land-based pollution continue to threaten these reefs, undermining their role in supporting community well-being and climate adaptation.

Implemented  in partnership by  WWF-Pacific and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the initiative will combine technical assistance, investment grants delivery, and innovative-finance mechanisms to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of reef-positive finance.

Focusing on up to two provinces among Central, Malaita, Isabel, and the Western—areas that host Solomon Islands’ most climate-resilient reefs-the initiative will target locations where local businesses can deliver the greatest reef-positive impact. The initiative will:

• Provide tailored business development assistance and catalytic investment grants to help reef-positive businesses become investment ready, improve their business models, and scale ecological impact.
• Support to local financial institutions so they are better equipped to assess and finance reef-positive businesses, backed by  a credit guarantee facility, structured and managed by UNCDF.
• Blended finance solutions that help absorb investment risk and encourage  lending to sustainable fisheries, ecotourism, regenerative agriculture, and pollution reduction activities.

With this approval, the GFCR continues advancing toward its goal of unlocking up to $3 billion in blended finance and investment for coral reef resilience, accelerating solutions that unite climate action, ocean protection, and inclusive economic growth.