Written question asked by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. It was answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour) on Thursday, 19 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Blue Planet Fund

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to continue the Blue Planet Fund initiative beyond March 2026 at the current level of financial provision.

Answer: The UK is taking action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks at home and overseas, investing in ocean protection and supporting the transition to more sustainable food and livelihoods globally. Defra has an official development assistance (ODA) allocation of £115 million per year until 2028‑29. Defra will use a significant portion of this to continue to support a marine portfolio which protects coastal and ocean habitats and reduces poverty in coastal communities. The Blue Planet Fund will continue to work alongside coastal communities to sustainably manage their ocean resources, drive action on plastic pollution, and pilot innovative approaches to mobilise more finance for the ocean. For example, in January 2026, we committed £14 million to eight projects in our OCEAN grant scheme to support locally led solutions to protect the ocean and communities most affected by declining ocean health.

Secondary information