Builders Vision: Innovation in Climate and Nature Finance to Protect and Bolster Bahamian Environmental and Economic Prosperity

Our oceans are an important resource to the global economy and our environment, critical to sectors such as shipping, tourism, and seafood, and essential to the long-term health of the planet. Despite their importance, ocean conservation remains the least funded of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. At Builders Vision, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen ocean ecosystems. Today, we are excited to announce our latest investment in oceans: a $70 million co-guarantee to support The Bahamas Debt Conversion Project for Marine Conservation.

Demonstrating a market-driven solution for long-term ocean resilience and climate change mitigation, Builders Vision has partnered in a refinancing of $300 million of The Bahamas’ external commercial debt hand-in-hand with the Government of The Bahamas, The Nature Conservancy, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), AXA XL, Standard Chartered, Rothschild & Co., The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), and The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF). The goals of this important collaboration will be to support the country's efforts to improve ocean conservation and the management of its Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

This marks the first time a family office has stepped in alongside a multilateral development bank to co-guarantee a debt conversion for nature, highlighting Builders Vision’s commitment to forging new pathways in nature and conservation finance. The credit guarantees provided by IDB and Builders Vision allowed The Bahamas to lower borrowing costs and unlock significant new funding to restore and protect marine ecosystems. The deal is expected to generate an estimated $124 million for nature and climate in The Bahamas over the next 15 years.

We are proud of the first-of-a-kind role Builders Vision is playing and hope to demonstrate to other investors the role they can play in driving economic and environmental returns at scale.

Why The Bahamas: A Unique Opportunity for Nature-Based Solutions and Economic Impact

Our $70 million co-guarantee marks a new opportunity for our Builders Asset Management investment team, but it builds on our longstanding work to support ocean health in The Bahamas. Since 2022, Builders Vision has funded over $22.5 million in ocean-related grants and impact investments in The Bahamas, partnering with local organizations to address key challenges like sustainable fisheries, coral and mangrove restoration, and marine protected area management.

We are proud of The Bahamas' proven track record of marine conservation, having protected over 17% of its nearshore environment through one of the Caribbean's largest systems of MPAs, covering nearly 6.8 million hectares. The debt conversion project reinforces The Bahamas’ ambitious commitment to conservation while creating new opportunities for local communities and the broader economy to continue benefiting from critical natural resources.

Savings unlocked through the project will be used for several initiatives, including (but not limited to) enhanced MPA management, marine spatial planning, and a national mangrove management plan. Protecting coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests preserves essential habitats for a wide array of species, strengthens coastlines against storms, and enhances ocean-based carbon capture. Supporting the system of MPAs also benefits industries closely tied to the health of the ocean, particularly tourism and seafood. Additionally, the project secures commitments to implement management plans and associated activities for all The Bahamas’ MPAs, ensuring that the rules and regulations of the protected areas are enforced and monitored for management effectiveness.

Innovative Investing: The Role Family Offices Can Play in Nature-Based Finance

Last month, nature-based and conservation finance solutions were key discussion points at COP16, a global biodiversity climate summit. It is clear that despite the growing need and opportunity, public funding for nature remains insufficient. Leaders are calling for private investments to fill the funding gap to help build a sustainable economy in the face of growing climate-related challenges.

The Bahamas debt conversion project underscores an important point: family offices and other sources of private capital can play a meaningful role in catalyzing investments in nature.

We hope our investment - and its financial and environmental outcomes - inspires others to join us in finding new and novel ways to deploy their capital toward forward looking, cutting edge solutions like this.

Shaping the Future of Ocean Protection and Resilience

Without sufficient funding and support, our oceans—and all that depend on them—face severe risks that could ripple across every sector of the economy. By funding a multi-billion-dollar pipeline of debt conversions for nature in communities around the world, we can help meet ambitious global climate targets—such as those set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. That’s why at Builders Vision, our oceans strategy focuses on addressing the systemic challenges that hinder the development of a thriving blue economy, such as a lack of financial capital, limited understanding of ocean ecosystems, and inadequate policy frameworks.

We look forward to seeing the lasting impact this project will have, both in The Bahamas and as a global model for conservation and nature financing.

For more information, please see the ImpactAlpha story and check out the press release from The Nature Conservancy.