How we work

The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) was established to accelerate urgent investment and action to enhance the resilience of coastal reef ecosystems, communities and economies.

The GFCR comprises two major financial vehicles: a UN-led Grant Fund and a private-sector-led large-scale private equity impact Investment Fund.

The Grant Fund, managed by a UN Global Team, provides grants, technical assistance, and concessional finance through GFCR’s on-site Convening Agents – a world-class group of international and national conservation and sustainable investment leaders. The GFCR Convening Agents and their implementing partners provide incubation services and pipeline development for enterprises, finance mechanisms, and other solutions at country and regional levels.

The Investment Fund, managed by Pegasus Capital Advisors, invests in commercial projects and companies with business models that reduce threats to coastal habitats including critical coral reefs, as well as novel replicable and scalable solutions. The Investment Fund is a blended finance vehicle, inclusive of a junior anchor investment from the Green Climate Fund.

The strategic combination propels the achievement of Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Targets and Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Life Below Water.”

Target Investment Sectors

Sustainable Ocean Production: Aquaculture & Mariculture: Investing across the seafood value chain, from cultivation to technology, targeting species like seaweed, reef fish, and crustaceans. Wild Fisheries: Supporting sustainable wild-catch practices to prevent overfishing and protect marine ecosystems.
Sustainable Coastal Development and Ecotourism: Investments in businesses that will have a positive impact on reef ecosystems and local communities including eco-friendly and sustainable tourism and hospitality, mooring systems, and natural coastal infrastructure.
Circular Economy & Pollution Management: Investment in waste and pollution management businesses operating across upstream waste collection and disposal, as well as downstream processing and reuse.
Enabling Technologies for a Sustainable Future: Investment in businesses that have enabling technologies that support and or accelerate coastal sustainability.

The GFCR Grant Fund also supports catalytic funding to establish and strengthen financial mechanisms such as MPA finance, coral reef insurance, blue carbon, payment for ecosystem services, and debt conversion & bonds.

Reef-Positive Business Models

“Reef-positive” solutions include businesses and financial mechanisms that have a positive impact on coral reef health while providing sustainable benefits for local communities.