Chami’s appointment marks the natural evolution of an ongoing scientific collaboration. In recent years, Ralph Chami and One Ocean Foundation have worked together to explore the role of natural capital in economic and financial systems, including through Chami’s participation in the Blue Economy Summits organized by the Foundation and the research paper Building equitable and nature-positive blue natural capital markets.
His appointment to the Scientific Committee brings this ongoing research and dialogue into a broader and more structured framework, reinforcing a shared vision of the relationship between nature conservation, the economy and finance.
Bridging Science, Nature and Finance
With over three decades of experience as a financial economist, including 25 years at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Chami has developed an approach to finance that places the value of living nature at the center of economic decision-making.
His work focuses on valuing ecosystem services and developing innovative financial approaches that connect ecosystem protection with economic opportunities. Through his work on Science-Based Finance™, he explores how scientific knowledge of ecosystems can be integrated into economic and financial systems to direct capital towards nature-positive outcomes.
As the Foundation continues to expand its focus on the blue economy, natural capital and nature finance, understanding not only how to protect marine ecosystems but also how their health is connected to economic activity, financial risk and long-term resilience is becoming increasingly important.
The challenge, therefore, is not simply to assign a price to nature, but to understand how ecosystems contribute to economies, how their degradation can generate economic risks, and how financial systems can better account for these dependencies.
A Shared Vision for Natural Capital
The collaboration between Chami and One Ocean Foundation has already focused on developing more equitable and nature-positive approaches to natural capital.
The paper Building equitable and nature-positive blue natural capital markets, published in Cell Reports Sustainability, explores how private capital can help bridge the nature funding gap while ensuring high standards of integrity, meaningful engagement with local communities and scientifically robust measurement frameworks.
The research reflects a shared belief: nature finance cannot be developed through financial expertise alone. Creating credible financing opportunities requires combining a deep understanding of ecosystems with sound economic analysis, institutional coordination and financial expertise capable of translating scientific knowledge into practical tools.
Ralph Chami
Ralph Chami is a financial economist with over 30 years of experience, including 25 years at the International Monetary Fund. He is Co-Founder and CEO of Blue Green Future and Co-Founder of Rebalance Earth.
His current work focuses on Science-Based Finance™, natural capital and the economic value of ecosystem services, with the aim of developing financial mechanisms that support the protection and restoration of living nature.
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