GFCR Strategic Plan 2025-2030

To forge new sources of public and private funding for the protection of Earth’s most resilient reefs, the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) was launched in 2020 with an aim to prevent functional extinction of coral reefs and its potential consequences for the planet, people, and prosperity. The GFCR seeks to enhance the resilience of coral reef ecosystems, communities and economies by unlocking new public and private resources that accelerate sustainable businesses and finance solutions. Hosting both a UN Grant Fund and an Equity Fund, GFCR’s locally led implementation and transformative investments are informed by an integrated ‘protect-transform-restore-recover’ approach targeting coral refugia.

This Strategic Plan seeks to consolidate lessons learned to accelerate progress towards its 2030 objectives and includes five interconnected pathways to scale coral reef finance:

1. Finance Solutions - Expand sustainable finance mechanisms to assure abundant and stable resources dedicated to coral reefs, marine conservation, and reef-positive businesses.
2. Ocean-Positive Businesses - Continue growing investible reef and ocean-positive business pipelines that transform coastal economies and communities toward sustainability and abundance.
3. National Investment Ecosystems - Foster an enabling environment at the national level to scale and replicate reef-positive business and sustainable finance.
4. Knowledge, Learning & Impact Cycle - Create a virtuous cycle of knowledge and learning to influence effective investment and policy choices.
5. Sustainable Ocean Finance & Policy - Mainstream blended and innovative finance approaches, strengthen institutions, and leverage GFCR’s coalition to transform ocean finance and policy.