The HIIN represents the Impact Investing ecosystem at the Hellenic Parliament and outlines measures to mobilize capital into Blue Economy.
It was a great honor for the HIIN to participate in the discussion of the Committee on Water Resources of the Hellenic Parliament, organized by the Chair and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Oceans, Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou.
The Chair brought together stakeholders and organizations active in Marine Protection and the Blue Economy (a key thematic area of the upcoming October HIIC26 conference Impact Festival Europe in Athens), representatives from the government, municipalities, and the Ambassador of France Mrs. Laurence Auer. The hearing focused on collaboration between the state, municipalities, civil society, businesses, investors, and the academic community, aiming to advance projects for the protection of marine resources and the development of a sea-centered economy.
A particularly important contribution came from Mrs. Alexandra Cousteau, co-founder and President of Oceans 2050, who, presenting the Blue Cities Alliance initiative, highlighting that “our oceans are a critical asset that requires active investment”. We also heard valuable contributions from government representatives, particularly Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Mr. Stefanos Gkikas, on Marine Parks and the importance of coordinated action by local authorities.
As the official National Platform for Impact Investing, the HIIN was invited to provide insights on financing solutions for coastal resilience projects.
In his intervention, Vice President Dimitris Tselenis highlighted HIIN’s views on mobilizing scalable capital into the Blue Economy:
▶️ The Blue Cities Alliance represents a strategic opportunity for Greece.
▶️ Capital is available – we lack attractive, well structured and mature investment opportunities
▶️ Investment Readiness is essential to attract larger and international capital
▶️ The need for a dedicated regulatory framework ( Impact Law), aligned with international standards and HIIN’s policy recommendations.
▶️ structured financing instruments such as Blue Bonds and Blue Funds (in line with public suggestions from the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco)
▶️ Blended Finance is a critical tool for accelerating implementation.
The above is mandatory to translate strategic intent into investable projects and tangible outcomes for Greece’s coastal cities. The HIIN’s Impact Agenda will be catalytic in contributing to this goal.