Guest: Arınç Onat Kılıç is a PhD researcher and teaching assistant to the LLM programme at the University of Antwerp, Belgium

In this seminar, Arınç Onat Kılıç will introduce his PhD research “Legal structures of blue bonds: Enforcing ocean protection through financialization”.

The presentation will summarize the issues that the project aims to address, and provide a short case study. More information about the project and presentation is available in the abstract copied below. Those who wish to read a short paper before the presentation and provide feedback can contact Arınç via arinconat [dot] kilic [at] uantwerpen [dot] be (arinconat[dot]kilic[at]uantwerpen[dot]be)

For more information, and to register for the seminar, please send an email to amanda [dot] kron [at] jur [dot] lu [dot] se (amanda[dot]kron[at]jur[dot]lu[dot]se).

Abstract - “Legal structures of blue bonds: Enforcing ocean protection through financialization”

There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of making financial flows consistent with improving ocean ecosystems, along with the recognition of the role oceans and seas play in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Blue bonds in this context emerged as an innovative financial instrument to channel private capital towards marine and freshwater conservation projects. This PhD project critically examines the legal and financial construction of blue bonds through which international environmental law principles are transformed into private law mechanisms. It hypothesizes that blue bonds may undermine common but differentiated responsibilities in parallel to the prioritization of commercial interest on the ground. The project investigates the long-term socio-economic and legal implications of ecological modernization enforced through blue bonds. It employs doctrinal legal methodology and semi-structured interviews, focusing on three case studies: Seychelles sovereign blue bond, Nordic Investment Bank blue bonds, and Belize debt-for-ocean conservation deal. These cases bring together perspectives from both the Global South and the Global North.

Format:

The seminar will consist of 20-30 minutes presentation, followed by a discussion.

Partners:

This seminar series is made possible by generous contributions from Formas and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation