Bahamas Secures $120M For Ocean Conservation

News Americas, New York, NY, December 9, 2024: The Bahamas has unlocked over $120 million for the conservation and sustainable management of its oceans and mangroves through an innovative debt-for-nature swap, supported by Standard Chartered and private sector partners. This marks a significant step toward addressing climate change and biodiversity loss in the region.

By leveraging a $300 million lower-cost loan from Standard Chartered, The Bahamas repurchased $215.7 million in Eurobonds and an $81 million commercial bank loan. The resulting savings from reduced interest and principal payments will now fund ambitious ocean conservation initiatives.

Debt-for-nature swaps are gaining traction as a critical tool for achieving conservation and climate goals, addressing a portion of the $942 billion global funding gap BloombergNEF estimates is needed to restore and maintain biodiversity. The Bahamas’ initiative highlights how these mechanisms can channel resources to countries in the Global South to protect natural ecosystems.

Slav Gatchev, head of sustainable debt at The Nature Conservancy, which designed the deal and provides conservation expertise to The Bahamas, emphasized the importance of such agreements. “The nature bonds program is one of the few mechanisms that can drive financing at scale towards climate and nature in the global south,” he said.

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A Global First in Debt Swaps

The Bahamas’ deal represents a new generation of debt-for-nature swaps. It is the first to involve guarantees and insurance from private sector players, including a $70 million credit guarantee from impact investor Builders Vision and $30 million in insurance from AXA XL. These enhancements, combined with a $200 million partial credit guarantee from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), allowed Standard Chartered to issue a 15-year loan with a favorable 4.7% interest rate, comparable to new IDB debt costs.

“The asset class is not only scaling but developing,” said Dennis Eisele, head of global credit market financing for Latin America at Standard Chartered. “Builders Vision and AXA demonstrate there is an expanded pool of capital for these deals.”

Protecting Vulnerable Ecosystems

As an archipelago of low-lying islands, coral islets, and cays, The Bahamas is particularly vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events. The devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 continues to affect the country, highlighting the urgency of climate resilience measures.

This deal comes at a critical time. At the UN biodiversity summit in Colombia in October, nations failed to finalize a strategy for mobilizing billions of dollars in conservation funding. Wealthier nations have been hesitant to increase direct financial contributions, instead urging private sector involvement to bridge the funding gap.

The Bahamas’ innovative approach demonstrates how debt restructuring can serve as a lifeline for climate and conservation efforts in vulnerable nations. It also sets a precedent for similar initiatives globally, aligning financial mechanisms with environmental sustainability.