How finance can unlock the pathways to a sustainable ocean economy

Industry leaders from the private sector in ocean-based industries and financial services, and leaders in the public sector in the climate change and ocean conservation space will participate in a lively discussion on how finance can unlock the pathways to a sustainable ocean economy.

The financial sector has a key role to play in supporting ocean sustainability and delivering transformative change to ocean economies. Innovative ocean financing tools, like a blue bond, can be used to invest in the key ocean sectors to not only deliver climate mitigation and adaptation benefits, but to also further sustainable development.

Joywin Mathew will moderate a discussion with our esteemed panellists, on whether non-state actors can help deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement by using blue finance as a catalyst, to enable scalable ocean-based climate solutions.

Further topics for discussion include:

• how can the public and private sector fund ocean-based initiatives and industries using blue finance? What ocean-based initiatives and industries are eligible for blue financing and how can they be used as drivers for change in making the private sector more sustainable;


• the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy has just released a report on the Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change. How can blue finance be used to reduce the “emissions gap” and support the priorities articulated in this report;


• what role can blue finance play in helping to achieve the recently announced UNFCCC Climate Change Champion’s 2030 Ocean Breakthroughs which focus on accelerated action and investments in key ocean sectors include: marine conservation, ocean renewable energy, shipping, aquatic food, and coastal tourism;


• how can development financial institutions and multilateral development banks enable opportunities for blue finance and the blue economy; and


• COP28: what are the tangible outcomes for climate finance, and specifically blue finance, moving forward.

Our esteemed panellists include:

Suzanne Johnson
Senior Advisor to the UNGC Sustainable Ocean Business Platform

Suzanne is a Senior Advisor to the UN Global Compact and its work to advance a more sustainable ocean economy. She is also head of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Sustainability Program and sits on the Lloyd’s Register Advisory Board. She has wide ranging experience in the energy sector, having previously worked for energy and water companies in government and regulatory affairs, investor relations and finance. Suzanne has served as special assistant to Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, former U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations at the American Enterprise Institute. Suzanne is interested in advancing the private sector’s contribution towards the Sustainable Development Goals. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation, a member of the William Pitt circle at Chatham House and is a Trustee for UK Associates of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science.

Dr Christopher Marks
Managing Director, Head of Growth Markets, Innovative Finance and Portfolio Solutions EMEA, MUFG Bank

Dr Christopher Marks has worked in the financial markets and financial sector advisory, across the public and private sector, for more than 25 years.

Prior to his current role, Christopher served as Senior Advisor to the Chief Risk Officer and Acting VP for Private Sector Development at the African Development Bank, also consulting as Expert-Capital Markets/Sovereign Debt Management for the International Monetary Fund.

Dr Marks was previously Global Head of Debt Capital Markets at BNP Paribas in London and a member of BNP Paribas’ Global Fixed Income Business Committee, having spent 15 years at the bank. In this role he managed a team of 120 professionals based in 13 countries on 5 continents, responsible for all capital markets origination and execution, including associated structuring, across all sovereigns, public sector, corporate, high yield, special situations loan-bond and financial institution client segments worldwide.

During his capital markets career, he specialized in sovereign and quasi-sovereign finance and debt management, advising the French, German and Greek governments during the Greek sovereign debt management and restructuring initiative (2010-12).

Prior to his career as an investment banker, he worked as a public finance specialist, with a particular focus on intergovernmental finance. Notably, he served as a USAID-sponsored Advisor, resident for three years within the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Poland. In addition, he has worked for the World Bank, OECD, and Price Waterhouse International Privatization Group during the US Government-sponsored Voucher Privatization Programs in Central Europe. He began his development finance career as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa; throughout his career he has lived for six years in Africa across different roles.

Ignace Beguin Billecocq
Ocean and Coastal Zones Lead and Acting Nature Head for the UN High Level Climate Champions and Senior Manager, Ocean and Climate, at the UN Global Compact

With the UN High Level Climate Champions, Ignace is leading the engagement with the ocean community and ocean-based industries since COP 26. By engaging and mobilizing a diverse group of stakeholders, Ignace’s ambition is to scale up ocean-based climate solutions and capital flows. At the UN Global Compact, Ignace launched the Ocean Stewardship Coalition in 2018 which is developing tools for Business Leadership in the Ocean to deliver on the Global Goals.

Dr Jimena Rodriguez
Senior Group Manager Oceans and Biodiversity Group Sustainability DP World

Dr Jimena Rodriguez is Senior Group Manager for Oceans and Biodiversity at DP world’s Group Sustainability, and she works on advancing DP World’s Global work for ocean enhancement by overseeing the company’s strategic approach to marine biodiversity and coastal issues. Areas that are vital part of the business and the legacy pillar under DP World’s Our World Our Future sustainability strategy. Jimena has worked closely with government agencies, academia, and nongovernmental organisations including the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) on ocean related cross cutting issues, delivering impactful conservation initiatives and influencing local and regional policy for biodiversity and marine coastal areas protection. Dr Jimena Rodriguez holds a doctorate degree in molecular ecology and a master’s degree in marine ecology and is a regional expert on sea turtle biology, ecology and conservation.

Joywin Mathew
Partner, DLA Piper

Joywin Mathew, Partner, DLA Piper has broad capital markets, structured finance and debt finance experience, spanning over 17 years. Joywin routinely handles a wide range of public and private international debt transactions and other complex debt transactions. He has also advised on a number of sustainable finance transactions which were “new to market”. Joywin is a keen contributor to thought leadership on matters relating to sustainable finance, and represents DLA Piper on various forums related to ESG and sustainable finance. Joywin is also an industry recognised expert on blue finance and climate finance and works with a diverse group of stakeholders on advancing the cause of a sustainable ocean economy and in particular on how blue finance and blue bonds can play a critical role in unlocking financing for ocean initiatives including the implementation of the SDGs related to the ocean.