Clean Oceans Initiative 2.0 (EIB, EBRD, ADB, KfW)

Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-11 12:58

Collaborative initiative of EIB, EBRD, ADB, and KfW with EUR 3-4 billion in financing for waste prevention and reduction in coastal areas, recycling capacity enhancement, and marine litter reduction.

Source: https://www.ebrd.com/home/news-and-events/news/2025/public-development-banks-launch-clean-oceans-initiative-2-0-afte.html

Funding Details

Funder

Clean Oceans Initiative 2.0 (AFD, EIB, KfW, CDP, EBRD, ADB)

Funding Goal

Reduce marine plastic pollution and advance circular economy solutions through multilateral development bank financing for waste prevention, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and ocean litter reduction in coastal areas globally.

Funding Amount

€3 billion joint financing target for 2026–2030 across all six member banks (up to 3.000.000.000 €)

Deadline

2030-12-31 (Fixed)

How to Apply

No centralized COI 2.0 application window. Eligible entities must approach individual member development banks (EIB, EBRD, KfW, ADB, AFD, or CDP) directly with project proposals that align with the initiative's themes. Each bank applies its own eligibility and appraisal criteria. Projects are tracked and reported collectively under the COI umbrella.

Target Region

Asia, Africa, Latin America (coastal areas); global scope

Contact

Media enquiries: https://www.ebrd.com/home/contacts/ebrd-media-enquiries.html | EBRD contacts: https://www.ebrd.com/home/contacts/ebrd-contacts-list.html

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:01

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Projects in Asia, Africa, or Latin America are prioritized; geographic focus on regions with major river-to-ocean plastic flows
• Applicants must be eligible borrowers under the relevant member bank (EIB, EBRD, KfW, ADB, AFD, or CDP) — typically public entities or private sector companies

Project Scope

• Project must directly address plastic pollution or litter entering the ocean from coastal or riverine sources
• Focus areas include wastewater treatment, solid waste management, stormwater management, or circular economy/waste prevention solutions
• COI 2.0 also supports alternatives to single-use plastics and circular economy models — project proposals should quantify expected plastic reduction outcomes

Required Documents

• Projects should demonstrate measurable impact on plastic pollution reduction using scientifically robust indicators

Constraints

• Financing is structured as long-term loans or blended finance, not grants; applicants must meet creditworthiness or co-financing requirements

Summary

The Clean Oceans Initiative 2.0 (COI 2.0) is a renewed multilateral partnership launched on June 9, 2025 at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, bringing together six major public development banks: AFD (France), EIB (European Investment Bank), KfW (Germany), CDP (Italy), EBRD, and ADB (newly joining). The initiative sets a joint financing target of €3 billion for the period 2026–2030, building on its predecessor which mobilized €4 billion since 2018 and exceeded its original targets. COI 2.0 maintains its core focus on reducing marine litter and plastic pollution while expanding scope to include stronger emphasis on waste prevention and circular economy solutions — including support for alternatives to plastic. The initiative targets projects in coastal areas, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where mismanaged waste and inadequate water infrastructure contribute most heavily to ocean plastic flows. The financing mechanism operates through individual member banks channeling long-term loans and blended finance to public and private sector project implementers. Representative projects from the original initiative include wastewater treatment in Sri Lanka, China, Egypt, and South Africa; solid waste management in Togo and Senegal; and flood protection in Benin, Morocco, and Ecuador. The new phase adds ADB's regional expertise in Asia, where the largest volumes of plastic enter the ocean. This initiative is primarily oriented toward large-scale infrastructure financing and institutional borrowers rather than grant-based NGO funding. Applications are not submitted centrally to COI 2.0 directly; rather, eligible projects are financed through the individual member banks under their respective country and sector portfolios.

Historical Context

The original Clean Oceans Initiative was launched in 2018 and extended in 2022. As of May 2025, it achieved its €4 billion financing target. COI 2.0 was launched June 9, 2025 at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, with a new €3 billion target for 2026–2030 and ADB joining as a new member.

Why it was added

Major multi-bank initiative with EUR 3-4B for marine litter and waste management

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