The overall goal of Coastbusters FINESSE is to set up a financial framework that integrates the eco-engineering perspective (functions / (co-)benefits / beneficiaries / value capture potential and delivery) with the investor-perspective (risk / return / impact) for coastal and marine Nature-based Solutions (NbS). This framework will consist of a newly designed integrated value model, an associated project finance tool and a suite of scientifically underpinned impact monitoring metrics. In this way, we aim to facilitate the development of new financing mechanisms and hence, of new public-private partnership models for implementing these NbS at a larger scale.  

The project will focus on three key co-benefits of coastal and marine NbS: (1) coastal protection and sedimentation stabilization (WP2), (2) carbon and nutrient fluxes (WP3) and (3) biodiversity (WP4) as a starting point for further expansion of the model post-project. A biogenic reef, analogous to the concept that was developed during previous Coastbusters® projects and of which the data are accessible to the consortium, will be used as a scalable cornerstone of the research work.  

As a final part of the project, the framework consisting of the integrated value model, with an associated suite of monitoring parameters and project finance tool, will be operationalized on a coastal and marine case. 

The ultimate ambition is to provide a scientifically underpinned framework for coastal and marine NbS management, integrating ecoengineering aspects with financing options (e.g., government funding combined with impact investment, C credits and/or biodiversity-related financing…). This will open the way to value, monitor and manage biogenic reefs as part of an optimized coastal management strategy. Hence, Coastbusters FINESSE aims not only to develop a comprehensive model that interweaves ecoengineering performance parameters with investment performance parameters, but also to establish a common language between the financing world and the ecoengineering world.