Multiple initiatives to promote the blue economy
Convinced of the need to direct capital towards solutions dedicated to pollution prevention, marine and coastal conservation and preservation, water treatment, and the decarbonisation of maritime transport, BNP Paribas was the only bank among the official sponsors of the third United Nations Ocean Conference in 2025.
The Group supports innovative startups, notably through its subsidiary BNP Paribas Développement,(1) such as the French company Bluefins, which equips merchant ships with a robotic fin that can save up to 20% on fuel. BNP Paribas also plays a leading role in the development of blue bonds. In 2025, the Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB) teams led the arrangement of a US$30 million blue private placement for CABEI, the Central American multilateral development bank, to support the sustainable restoration of Lake Yojoa in Honduras.
For its part, BNP Paribas Cardif subscribed to a €100 million blue bond issue for CAF, the development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, to finance the development of sustainable water management infrastructure in coastal areas. This operation helps protect marine ecosystems and supports local community adaptation.
Meanwhile, Commercial & Personal Banking in France launched the very first blue bond for its private banking customers. This innovation, structured by the CIB teams, was designed as a sustainable investment instrument dedicated to Ocean preservation and water management – it also had a philanthropic dimension thanks to the Dift platform, allowing clients to donate 0.2% of the amounts subscribed to environmental organisations. In total, the Group thus mobilised €150 million in blue private placements, including structured products.
Finally, as part of its “Climate & Biodiversity Initiative” programme, the BNP Paribas Foundation launched a new call for projects in 2025 dedicated to the Ocean and coastal ecosystems. Between 2026 and 2028, 11 projects will be supported, for a total amount of €7 million.
“Preserving biodiversity is essential to maintaining our economic and social health, as we depend on the fragile balance of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Recognising the urgency of this issue, we have made biodiversity protection a core part of our strategy for many years. By the end of 2025, our financing for companies contributing to the protection of terrestrial and marine biodiversity totalled €6 billion.”