At the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Government of Fiji, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, Joint SDG Fund, and UNCDF, held a side-event to showcase blended finance in action. The focus of this event was on Blue Economy developments for Fijian Coral Reefs and local communities. Together, the Joint SDG Fund and GFCR provided USD 3.5M in capital investment to mobilise commercial investments, promote financial sustainability of coral reef conservation and accelerate reef-positive livelihoods. This initial funding seeded the facility, bringing a mature pipeline and signed partnerships, including the investment manager; the facility seeks private sector investment and contribution from individual donors and foundations.

Jodi Smith of Matanataki and Sanjeev Chand of The Fertile Factory and Co. share their insights on the panel.