International financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and many companies have already understood the economic and environmental value of the seas, considers the vice president of the organizing committee of the UN Conference on the Oceans, an idea supported by the confirmed presences at the event.

"One very critical thing in all that is climate and environmental action is financing" and "the international financial institutions and multilateral development banks are going to be here at the highest level," Alexandre Leitão revealed in an interview with Lusa news agency about the event that will take place in Lisbon from June 27 to July 1.

Funding is available "in the billions, and I'm not confusing billions with billions. I'm really talking about billions," said the vice-chairman of the organizing committee of the United Nations Oceans Conference.

This you can confirm at a conference organized in January in Brest, where this was highlighted by representatives of international financial institutions.

They said, according to Portugal's representative at the UN conference, that "with the pressure from markets, shareholders and public opinion for the 'greening' of investors' portfolios" they have reached a situation where they have "more money than projects".

At the international conference on oceans, Portugal, which is hosting the event and is a co-organizer, along with the UN and Kenya, wants there to be a match between projects and funding.

"We will try to create the opportunity for the community that produces ideas, has projects, wants to dare", from private and public agents, to young entrepreneurs, scientists, "to understand how to mobilize this funding that exists and that is in the order of billions", detailed Alexandre Leitão.

One of the moments for this will be the forum on Sustainable Blue Economy and Investment, integrated in the conference and taking place on June 28.

The GDP generated by the economy of the sea in the world is still only 5%, and in Portugal it is also of this percentage, reminded Alexandre Leitão, sustaining that this makes "little sense" if we think that 71% of the planet's surface is occupied by sea.

In many countries, and in Portugal even higher than the global average, the GDP generated by the blue economy "has to be a little higher," he argues.

"I think we have the conditions here and we will work to do it, and not only through the formal segments of the conference," said the vice chairman of the conference organizing committee, stressing that "353 requests for parallel events have been submitted."

Alexandre Leitão said that a total of 8,818 entities are accredited for the conference, which will be opened by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and had confirmed, until May 10, the presence of more than 20 heads of state and government from all continents.