PRESS RELEASE

Date: 15 September 2025

NIUE TO ADVANCE OCEAN PROTECTION WITH $4M BEZOS EARTH FUND GRANT
US$4M Grant to Niue Ocean Wide Trust from the Bezos Earth Fund Will Help Deliver Government and Community Partnership-Led Ocean Protection and Community Stewardship Priorities
Alofi, Niue (15th September , 2025)  A US$4 million investment from the Bezos Earth Fund will support the permanent protection and sustainable management of Niue’s ocean through the Niue Ocean Wide Trust - a sustainable finance mechanism - designed to help safeguard Niue’s marine environment, ecosystems, and support long-term, community-led ocean protection.

The funding will support the Niue Ocean Wide Trust in delivering ocean conservation through marine spatial planning and strengthening marine management plans ,as well as management compliance, working closely with key stakeholders within our government, Non-Government organizations , Village Councils and Resource Management Advisory groups in our communities.

“Niue has taken bold steps to protect our ocean, from declaring 100% of our waters a Marine Park to creating the Ocean Conservation Commitments. The Bezos Earth Fund’s support builds on this foundation strengthening food security, resilience, and opportunities for our people while advancing the Pacific’s shared ambition under Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity”. Prime Minister of Niue-Hon. Dalton Tagelagi. 

 This work contributes to the vision outlined the Niue Ocean Wide Initiative (NOW), to build a resilient, blue economy that is reinforcing of long term ocean protection, climate resilience and sustainable development for Niue, and supports “Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity,” a regionwide strategy endorsed by Pacific leaders to sustainably manage 100 percent of the ocean and protect sites of ecological and cultural importance.

“I really appreciate this very significant contribution to the NOW Trust and OCC’s.  In addition to the significant  volume of funding, the respect Bezos has accorded us by using our own home grown sustainable financing mechanism to deliver these resources through is a game changer.  Moving away from traditional funding paradigms that have not worked with crippling merry-go-rounds of unsustainable and administratively burdensome project development and reporting primarily driven by donor interests.  This marks a turning point in respect for the custodians of the blue Pacific Continent, the largest healthy blue lung on the planet and cradle of Noah’s Ark in marine diversity”  President, Tofia Niue -Coral Pasisi

Niue Ocean Wide Trust is supporting this work as part of a larger $37.5 million initiative announced by the Bezos Earth Fund to accelerate early implementation of marine protection across 12 Pacific Island countries and territories. The Earth Fund has pledged $100 million to support Pacific-led conservation, ocean governance, and durable finance solutions.

For further information: Shanta Viviani - Hekau
Communications Manager and Funding Grants Officer 
+64 22 321 4172 
Shanta Viviani-Hekau: shanta.viviani-hekau@nowtrust.org
Niue Ocean Wide Trust

The Niue and Ocean Wide Trust (NOW Trust) was created in 2023. The Trust emerged from the Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) Project, a public-private partnership between the Government of Niue and the local NGO Tofia Niue. The NOW Trust has a bold vision: to respond more rapidly and equitably to environmental, cultural, and economic challenges by putting communities, especially indigenous peoples, at the center of conservation financing and governance. It represents an innovative partnership between philanthropy, indigenous peoples, local and international resources and government. It exemplifies a growing commitment to culturally informed giving, especially among those seeking to support indigenous-led solutions and community-led development with humility and respect.

Bezos Earth Fund

Founded in 2020 by Jeff Bezos with a commitment of US$10 billion, to be disbursed by2030, with the goal of fighting climate change and protecting nature. It is a philanthropic grant-making organization. It awards grants to scientists, activists, NGOs, community groups, etc. Its philosophy is that big, systemic, bold interventions are needed incremental change alone is not sufficient. It’s interested in ideas that can lead to transformational change. It emphasizes working in coalition: partnering with governments, local communities, NGOs, science bodies etc., and focusing on justice (environmental justice) so that those most affected by climate/nature crises are included. As of 2025, the Bezos Earth Fund has granted approximately US$2.3 billion of its $10 billion commitment.

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