KfW and European partners double Clean Oceans Initiative funding target to EUR 4 billion to strengthen fight against marine plastic pollution

If current practice does not change, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the seas, measured by weight.

(IN BRIEF) KfW and its European institutional partners have expanded the Clean Oceans Initiative by doubling its financing target from EUR 2 billion to EUR 4 billion to intensify efforts against marine plastic pollution. Originally launched in 2018 by KfW, the European Investment Bank, and Agence Française de Développement, the initiative supports wastewater treatment, waste management, and rainwater infrastructure projects aimed at reducing plastic leakage into oceans. Additional institutions including CDP, ICO, and the EBRD have since joined the initiative. Around EUR 1.6 billion has already been committed to projects across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, benefiting approximately 20 million people. The expanded initiative reflects growing international concern over rising plastic pollution levels and the need for stronger environmental infrastructure and sustainable marine protection measures worldwide.

(PRESS RELEASE) FRANKFURT, 13-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — KfW and its European institutional partners have agreed to significantly expand the Clean Oceans Initiative (COI) by doubling the program’s financing target from EUR 2 billion to EUR 4 billion, reinforcing international efforts to reduce plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and improve environmental infrastructure in developing and emerging economies.

The announcement was made during the One Oceans Summit in Brest, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The Clean Oceans Initiative was launched in October 2018 by KfW together with the European Investment Bank and the French development agency Agence Française de Développement to finance projects aimed at reducing plastic waste entering rivers and oceans worldwide. The initiative has since expanded to include Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Spain’s Instituto de Crédito Oficial, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

According to the participating institutions, approximately 80% of the initiative’s original EUR 2 billion target has already been achieved, with EUR 1.6 billion committed to date. In response to the increasing urgency of global marine pollution challenges, the expanded group of institutions agreed to extend the initiative through 2025 and substantially increase available financing.

As part of the COI, KfW has so far contributed to avoiding plastic waste and wastewater in developing countries and emerging economies to protect the oceans with 16 funding projects and a volume of EUR 500 million.

Plastic waste in marine environments continues to grow at an alarming pace. Millions of tonnes of plastic are already present in the oceans, with an estimated eight million additional tonnes entering marine ecosystems each year. Massive concentrations of floating plastic debris have formed across the world’s oceans, including one accumulation zone now estimated to be roughly four times the size of Germany.

The initiative finances projects focused on wastewater treatment, waste management, and rainwater systems, particularly in regions where inadequate infrastructure contributes to plastic leakage into rivers and coastal waters. Rainwater management has become increasingly important because heavy rainfall often carries unmanaged waste directly into marine ecosystems.

Projects supported through the initiative include wastewater treatment programs in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and China, waste management projects in Togo and Indonesia, and rainwater management initiatives in India and Benin.

KfW has contributed approximately EUR 500 million to the initiative so far and currently supports 16 of the 39 active COI projects, including a wastewater infrastructure project in Cape Town. Collectively, projects financed under the initiative are expected to benefit approximately 20 million people across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

The participating institutions emphasized that ocean protection is becoming increasingly critical not only for environmental sustainability but also for economic resilience and climate stability. Oceans play a central role in regulating the climate, absorbing carbon emissions, and providing food, medicine, renewable energy resources, and essential economic services worldwide.

The annual economic value of marine goods and services is estimated at approximately USD 2.5 trillion, underscoring the importance of preserving marine ecosystems and strengthening sustainable waste and water infrastructure globally.

SDG 14 – Life below Water | KfW Development Bank

Dossier about plastic waste | KfW Stories

Brochure – CLEAN OCEANS INITIATIVE (eib.org)

AFD Video – The Clean Oceans Initiative – YouTube

Media contact:

KfW Development Bank
+49 69 74 31-42 60
info@kfw-entwicklungsbank.de

SOURCE: KfW Entwicklungsbank GmbH