Advancing Ocean Biodiversity Insights for Sustainable Finance - DNB

Background 

DNB, Norway's leading financial institution for ocean industries, is recognized for its effort to integrate sustainability considerations into financial decision-making. Building on a solid foundation of environmental stewardship, DNB is exploring ways to understand and map ocean nature-related metrics. By supporting the development of nature impact insights, DNB is strengthening its approach to sustainability and contributing to the broader ambition of aligning capital flows with the preservation and restoration of natural ecosystems, for the benefit of people and planet.  

Use Case Overview 

In partnership with HUB Ocean, DNB explored how curated ocean nature data insights available through the Ocean Data Platform could generate metrics that help identify the impacts of shipping activities on ocean nature.  

 “We are thrilled to partner with DNB, a bank with a legacy of supporting ocean industries and a deep commitment to sustainability,” - Kimberly Mathisen, CEO of HUB Ocean.  

“DNB has for decades been the go-to financial partner for Norway’s ocean industries and has always believed that investing in ocean industries means investing in the future. By collaborating with HUB Ocean, we are further strengthening our ability to help our clients adhere to sustainable practices and lead in the transition to a more responsible ocean economy. - Jan Ole Huseby, Head of DNB Ocean Industries.  

Types of Data Insights HUB Ocean provided to DNB  

Through its Ocean Data Platform, HUB Ocean tested curated datasets and analytics. Central to this was the Ocean Sensitive Areas (OSA) data product, which provided geospatial layers identifying ecologically sensitive marine zones, including protected areas, biodiversity hotspots and areas of importance for critical ocean species. These insights enabled DNB to get insights into the proximity of a subset of their shipping portfolio to vulnerable ecosystems and incorporate this understanding into its ESG evaluations. To ensure transparency and informed interpretation, HUB Ocean also provided clarity on data limitations and confidence levels.  

Value and Impact Creation  

The partnership between DNB and HUB Ocean has generated tangible value for both organizations. For DNB, the collaboration enhanced its ESG risk assessment capabilities by bringing science-based, disclosure-ready metrics aligned with frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). This has strengthened DNB’s positioning as a sustainability leader within the financial sector and reinforced its role in supporting the transition to a more responsible and resilient ocean economy. For HUB Ocean, the partnership helped validate the applicability of its data products in financial services and demonstrated the potential of the Ocean Data Platform to support ESG reporting and decision-making in ocean industries.